Kagome-Trapped in Trouble
by priestess.kiyoko
Summary: Along with a major Code Geass plot change, Kagome is thrust into the warring world, where her own country has been stripped of its name, rights and freedom. How will she fare in this frightening new world? *Waiting for review to continue writing*
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

~~~Imperial Palace~~~

Majestic oak doors slowly swung open, as the knight standing guard at the door proclaimed, "Announcing, Prince Lelouch vi Britannia, 17th heir to the Royal Britannian Imperial throne!" Said raven-haired boy stood at the foot of the red carpet, leading to the throne, with a fiercely indignant pride. He began stalking down the length of the palace hall, with his head held high, and his chest out. Walking with purpose in his step, he glared at the man who sat on the throne. He had eyes only for that wretched man who sat on the throne, for there was nothing but all consuming rage swirling through the prince's mind. The vile beast that had more children than hair on his head was merely sweeping the crowds with his piercing purple eyes. The near silent mutterings of the anxious nobility fell on his deaf ears, for he was focused on obtaining answers to his anguished questions. Whether he was the Emperor or not, the prince was convinced that he would drag the answers out of him!

_ "I heard Empress Marianne was killed inside of the Britannian palace..."_

_ "There's no way terrorists could have just gotten in there! Which means that the real assassins..."_

_ "Shhh! Beware, my friend. You'll regret it if anyone hears of that talk around the palace!"_

_ "And yet the boy remains, even though his mother is dead_

_ "It's over, and the Ashford family that stood behind them is finished too..."_

_ "And his sister? The princess?"_

_ "I understand that she was shot in the legs... And that she lost her sight! Blindness caused by trauma though, isn't it?"_

_ "No difference. Now she can't even be married off for political gain..."_

Lelouch vi Britannia had reached the foot of the throne. Four steps separated him from the Emperor, Charles zi Britannia. Now that Lelouch was so close to the king, he could feel the rapid palpitations of his heart. For even if the prince refused to admit it, the king's mere visage could invoke such terror, that in hindsight, a hungry lion would have been less threatening. Thinking, instead, of his anger towards the king, he finally managed to glare at the Emperor, still lazily staring down at his new visitor. The king's two guards stood stiffly at attention on either side of the throne, and glanced down at the young prince momentarily before the awkward silence was broken by Lelouch's bitter voice:

"Hail, your majesty! My mother, the empress, is dead!"

"Old news, what of it?" The king replied with aloof indifference. Charles sighed. _What would it take to satisfy this nuisance?_ The king thought. Of all the members of the royal family, Lelouch had seemed to be the most useless of them all, and yet he was always the most annoying. Avoiding all physical activity if at all possible, Lelouch was the quintessential example of everything Charles hated. But above all, he hated liars. And Lelouch was a brilliant liar. One who was fantastic at manipulating the truth, omitting information and spinning such fantastic alibi out of thin air that it was impossible to know when he was actually ever true to anyone, even himself.

"What of it?!" Lelouch spat at his father. His anger surfaced, as the burning flame in his eyes was reanimated. A white hot rage burned in his amethyst eyes, a molten hot anger burned his insides, and flushed his cheeks a cherry red. A slightly incredulous look flashed on his momentarily, but his flaring temper quickly marred his face again.

"You sought an audience with the Emperor of Britannia simply to inform me of that?" His father replied lazily, irritation laced into his words. Turning to his guards, he commanded, "send the next one in. I have no time for these childish games."

His anger boiling through, Lelouch rushed towards the King, and the guards raised their swords, rushing to bar Lelouch from reaching the throne, lest he tried something foolish to harm the king in any manner. Waving them aside, Charles allowed Lelouch to continue his rant half way up the stairs.

"Yes, your majesty!" The guards chorused in perfect unison, as they returned to their places beside the throne.

"Why didn't you keep Mother out of harm's way? You're the Emperor! The greatest man in this nation, if not the whole world! You should have protected her and now you don't even visit Nunnally!" Desperation and anger blending into his cracking voice. It was absurd, Lelouch now realized, for him to think that his father would listen to him. This heartless dictator would use his own children for personal gain without a second thought, and Lelouch thought to appeal to his emotions? But the prince simply could not understand why his father would do such a thing...

Eyes closed with a scowl on his face, the Emperor replied exasperatedly, "I have no use for that weakling."

"Weakling...?!" Lelouch stammered, the words choking in his throat. Clearly, he was taken aback by the his father's blunt retort, expecting, at the least, some sort of an apology or appropriate explanation. _How dare he call Nunnally a weakling?_ Although the Emperor had favoured Lelouch's elder siblings in his many conquests, Nunnally always had a special place in Lelouch's heart. Although he loved his some of his elder sisters too, Nunnally was his most beloved younger sister.

"That is what it means to be royalty!"

Fuming and barely forming coherent sentences, Lelouch managed to reply, as his voice broke, "Then I don't want to be your heir, I give up my claim to the throne! I'm sick of the fighting and scheming over who will succeed you, Father! I've had enough!" Crossing his arms in a dramatic fashion, Lelouch was somewhat pleased with his rant, but tiny triumph would not last.

A collective gasp from the audience of nobility could be heard throughout the palace. It was appalling, and definitely rare for a member of the royal family, young or not, to lose their composure, and they definitely had never, in the history of the Britannian Empire, known of any member of the royal family to give up their claim to a throne. Being Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, controlling more than one-third of the world, was a highly coveted position. But the king, merely opened his eyes, and stared daggers through Lelouch.

"You are dead," The Emperor stated matter-of-factly. "You have always been dead to me, dead from the moment you were born. Who gave you the fine clothes you wear and comfortable home? The food you eat and your very life? All of those I have given to you, in short, you are not nothing to me because you never existed. Yet you dare to speak such foolishness to me?!"

The Emperor then stood up from his elaborate golden throne, towering over the terrified young prince, his cloak billowing impressively, and continued his attack: "Lelouch, you are dead, therefore you are not entitled to any rights. I am sending you and Nunnally to Japan, as prince and princess, you will serve well as bargaining tools." A devilish grin slowly started to form...

"Father!" A tearful gasp came from the back of the main room of the palace. A young girl with tears in her eyes stood quivering at the door, after hearing the Emperor's brutal proclamation. "You can't!" The young princess with pink hair was terrified, but she would not allow her half-brother to be insulted like that. She loved Lelouch very much, and even though they had different mothers, they spent so many sunny afternoons together, playing in the courtyards, frolicking through the gardens, and enjoying each other's company. Lelouch was effectively her closest brother in the whole family. And aside from her elder sister, Cornelia, there was no one else in the entirety of the royal family that the little girl loved more as a sibling.

"Euphy, what are you...?" Another girl quickly ran to her side and grabbed her wrist, looking fearfully at the Emperor, waiting for his reaction to this sudden and rude interruption. Her purple hair extremely ruffled from her frantic chase after her younger sister. "Lelouch is having in audience with the king," she hissed, "we can't interr-"

"Let me go, Cornelia!" Euphy struggled against her sister's grip on her slender shoulder. Breaking free of her grip, Euphemia li Britannia ran to her half-brother's side, white dress flapping wildly. "That's just mean! You can't! If... If you're sending Lelouch and Nunnally away, then I- I'm going with them!" Tears were threatening to spill, but she refused to show her weakness. She knew her father was always occupied with his "work," and often never visited her mother. She knew that ruling the vast empire of Britannia was more important than most anything to the Emperor, so she was unrelenting in her attempt to glare at her father. Euphemia was never the type of person to ever glare at anyone. It was obviously a rarity, and unexpected of Euphy since even Lelouch, who had turned to face the direction from which the voices originated, was genuinely surprised.

"Euphy...?" Lelouch murmured. Euphy was loved by everyone, simply because she radiated happiness and kindness to all. She was adamant on treating everyone equally, and was always polite, gentle and kind, even to those who didn't deserve it. She believed in what she felt, and Lelouch admired her bravery.

Cornelia was panicked, as she was conflicted. She had a grand reputation to keep up, for she was the Goddess of Victory on the battlefield. She could count all the people in the history of the world who had more victories than her on one hand, and she still resented that there even existed anyone who could perform on the battlefield better than her. But she could never leave her beloved sister's side... The thought was too painful. In the dominating and aggressive persona that Cornelia constantly portrayed to everyone around her, her only weakness was Euphy... And occasionally Lelouch, although she wasn't sure if it was because Euphy loved him, or if it was because she was fond of Lelouch since he was her one of her closest brothers. But after digesting what the Emperor had said... If that meant that she would have to leave the ImperialPalace to follow and protect her sister, her younger siblings, she would. How could her father be so callous as to call his own children political tools? _So he's been using me?!_ The realization crashed into her. A tsunami of emotions: anger, betrayal, shock... _I've only been doing exactly what he wants! This social Darwinism is preposterous!_

"And I as well." Cornelia li Britannia addressed her father, mustering up her courage, and maintaining her composure. "I do not wish to abandon my younger sister Euphemia. I feel it is my duty to protect her." Cornelia was well aware of the consequences... But what use was it to be ordered around by a cruel man who would probably be more than willing to sacrifice her life if it was necessary? After all, it was a battle to the death for the throne that he wanted... Charles was sure to be bored of Japan soon enough, and he would send his troops there to obliterate Japan, and take the poor country as another colony of the vast Britannian empire. There would be no way for the Japanese to oppose the Holy Britannian Empire if the Emperor truly desired the defeat of Japan. He would order the assassination of his children without a hesitation, as if it were the only correct option in the matter, like brushing your teeth in the morning and eating when you were hungry.

The Emperor looked slightly troubled by this, but he quickly regained his composure. If he were to send all four of his children to Japan, he would be losing four royal members of the family, and more importantly, he would lose four political pawns... He would have to find some other means to wage war against other territories... But if they could not be satiated by the fancy clothes, servants and many luxuries of being royalty, he could care less, since they would surely betray him if he forced them to stay and serve him. He would send them away gladly, and never have to look at the children that would dare defy him, and defile his rule, and his name.

"Very well." His voice rumbled like the thunder preceding a storm, "I have no use for you pathetic weaklings. Get out of my palace and my country!"

~~~7 years after the war. 2017 a.t.b. Britannian Residence-Tokyo Settlement~~~

An old van sped along the many highways in the majestic structure of Britannia, with military helicopters in pursuit.

"Perfect, after we finally steal this damn thing... It's all because Tamaki couldn't stick to Naoto's plan! And now we've got a problem!" Nagata punched the dashboard as he stomped down on the gas pedal, hoping to somehow rid themselves of the Britannian military. The wheels screeched on the road, and swerved, dangerously avoiding a disarray of bullets. Kallen glanced at him under her grey cap hiding her face. Flaming red hair shifting slightly in the slight motion. Glancing worriedly out the side window at their pursuers, she urged Nagata to drive faster... It wouldn't do if they were caught with what they were stealing... They would most certainly be arrested and executed on the spot. In the eyes of the Britannian government here, they were terrorists, and defying the Britannian government was most certainly punishable by death.

* * *

Looming mahogany doors slowly swung open, revealing two schoolboys and their two female companions.

"Sir! Madam! Oh thank heaven, I'm saved! Are things going well at school?" An elderly man nervously greeted them with a low bow and grand sweep of his right arm.

A game of chess was being played at that moment, and the game was one-sided. But in favour of the arrogant nobleman filing his nails in pure boredom, judging that his full attention was not needed to win the chess match.

"What have we here? School kids?" The nobleman scoffed.

"Well, look at this. A nobleman." The taller of two schoolboys replied with obvious scorn. Running his hands through his ebony hair, his amethyst eyes looked disdainfully at the sitting nobleman. He approached the chess table. The two girls, stood off to the side of the chess table, intrigued by this chess match, and their overly confident opponent.

The younger pink haired girl giggled under her breath, and turned towards her sister, with a twinkle in her eyes. "I bet he's going to win this bet again! This is so exciting! I've never been to a match with Lelouch before!"

The girl's sister gently put a strand of pink hair behind her younger sister's ear, and turned towards her half-brother. "Perhaps... He is a brilliant strategist after all..." Lelouch had always been a chess master, challenging and defeating nobles since he was six. Chess was definitely Lelouch's all-time favourite game. Cornelia had not been particularly excited to let her younger sister come... Even if it was a noble that Lelouch was playing against... It wasn't safe for Euphy to come to these gambling matches... But she had denied her sister the pleasure for so long that she finally gave in, feeling bad that she herself was able to go. Obviously, if Euphy was coming, she, Cornelia, would come with her sister too. Besides, Cornelia had to keep an eye on Lelouch anyway... His pride was something that almost landed him in fights, and Lelouch was definitely incapable of any physical combat.

"I envy you kids today, you have so much time on you hands. Time for regrets. What's your name boy?"

"Lelouch... Lamperouge." The slight pause went unnoticed by the self-absorbed noble, as he continued to file his already perfected nails.

Cornelia and Euphemia frowned at the nobleman. _How rude!_ Most of the people that Lelouch played against in chess matches were nobility, and it was disgusting what these wealthy pigs had turned into. Simply because the Britannia was unanimously the super-power of the world, the more fortunate Britannians were able to enjoy a life of luxury, that had nothing to do with merit, or how hard they worked. In fact, most of the nobles were so lazy, it surprised Cornelia that they even bothered to wake up in the morning, since they didn't contribute to society in any way, except to stoke the burning hatred she felt towards these self-absorbed, self-righteous pricks.

The other schoolboy had already rushed up to the table with the half-finished chess game, his blue hair dishevelled, and after glancing at the pieces, nervously spoke to Lelouch, "Wow! Now wait a minute.. You can't win this one, it's impossible, right?"

"Rivalz," Lelouch addressed the other schoolboy with the same bored expression he always wore on his face, "when do you think we have to leave, in order to make our next class?"

"Are you serious Lelouch, if you cut it as close as last time-" The elder school girl warned.

"Uh... 20 minutes if we bust our hump..." Rivalz cut in.

"Then be sure to drive safely on the way back," Lelouch instructed, moving towards the leather armoire to sit down. "I'll need nine minutes."

"9 minutes? You only have 20 seconds per move!" The nobleman looked up in surprise, with an incredulous look on his face.

Lelouch smirked, as he picked up the king. "Enough time."

"You start with the king?" The nobleman, after recovering, laughed derisively at the seemingly absurd move of his opponent. There was no way this lowly school boy would beat him!

Cornelia and Euphemia simply smiled at Lelouch knowingly, as Rivalz hung beside Lelouch's right shoulder, like a parrot, intently watching the ensuing chess match.

* * *

"I love playing against the nobility! When they lose, they always pay out of pride. By the way, 8 minutes and 32 seconds is a new record!" Rivalz pranced around the siblings in a frenzy.

"He also didn't have much time to move either. And as opponents go, the nobles are tepid. They're just over-privileged parasites, that's all." Lelouch replied, as the four walked out of the nobleman's house. Playing against nobility was sometimes just so boring! They used the same tactics over and over, since that was how they were taught. They showed no creativity; no intelligence and no adaptability! They were predictable. But still...

Reaching the steps outside the mansion, Rivalz turned around and asked Lelouch: "Well then, why don't you challenge one of the Elevens? They're nothing like us Britannians!"

Cornelia snorted as Euphemia looked to Lelouch expectantly, but they were cut off as a giant screen on a nearby government building turned on, showing a government program, and they were greeted with a familiar sight...

Upon the interruption, Lelouch glanced up at the news screen, and immediately stiffened, his hands curling into fists and his teeth ground together. Anger surged through his body again... _What now...?!_ The Britannian flag flapped in the machine generated wind, and a half brother of Lelouch appeared on the screen for another pathetic speech that served no other purpose than to be propaganda.

"To all my Imperial subjects, including of course, the many cooperative Elevens who choose to serve the Empire of Britannia; do you not see my pain? My heart was ripped from my chest only to be torn apart. The remnants are filled with rage and sadness. However, as ruler of Area 11, I will not tolerate terrorism of any kind! Because the battle we fight is a righteous one! A virtuous battle to protect the well-being of one and all!" His dramatic gestures and flapping cape only irritated Lelouch more. Clovis looked more like a confused and wildly gesticulating goose, than a prince... Taking a shaky breath to steady his emotions, he continued staring at the screen.

"Now then, everyone. I would like you to join me in observance of the eight who died for justice, in the line of duty."

* * *

Listening to the radio broadcast in the speeding van, it was Kallen's turn to slam a fist into the side of the car. "We're not Elevens! We're Japanese!" A low guttural growl formed in her throat. She loathed these Britannians. They acted all high and mighty, falsely believing that they were a superior race._ Those insufferable racists!_

* * *

"That first move you made... Why'd you start with the king?" Rivalz questioned, turning to glance at Lelouch as he drove his motorcycle back to school, curious above all else. Lelouch sat in the adjoined cart, staring off into sky. The day was just beginning and not a cloud was in the sky. A warm autumn day with the sun rising in the sky to dominate the peaceful landscape. If only it would last...

Cornelia, driving a sleek, black car with her sister in the passenger seat, had her window rolled down, and also glanced at Lelouch, waiting for an answer. Whatever Lelouch came up with, it was always entertaining to ponder. Lelouch had a keen mind, and although she didn't always agree with his view on things, it was always nice to debate with him, flinging witty remarks at each other.

"If the king doesn't lead, how does he expect his subordinates to follow?" Lelouch replied with the same face he always had-one of boredom. It would seem that he thought this answer would be an obvious one.

Cornelia smiled to herself. _Of course you would say that Lelouch... Our father-_ Cornelia stopped her train of thoughts before she settled into a darker mood... It seemed to be a beautiful day, and she didn't want to ruin it by dwelling in the past. Shaking her head, she continued to focus on the road. _I believe so myself. I hated ordering my troops to fight without fighting myself. Sitting in the command centre was cowardly and how would you inspire your troops to fight when the commander doesn't even dirty their hands? You demonstrate by example through leadership.. And besides the fact that if you wanted something done, you should probably just trust yourself to do it, what fun is sitting behind and watching all the fighting to be had out on the battle field?_

"Do you fantasize running a major corporation?" Rivalz cut in, drawing Cornelia back to reality.

"No way!" Lelouch's eyebrows were drawn together as he frowned. _What a stupid idea!_ "Ambitions like that will ruin your health."

A rattling grey van seemingly appeared out of nowhere, speeding along the highway and closing in on the motorbike and the car.

"We're gonna die!" Rivalz and Cornelia swerved to the side of the road, as the van behind swerved to the left, turning into a construction zone, and crashing into an old abandoned building, bulldozing through orange cones and white barricades.

Stomping on the brakes, Rivalz sheepishly grinned at Lelouch. "Eh... Was that our fault...?"

"I don't think so..." Lelouch trailed off as he caught a glimpse of a greenish-blue glittering over the back of the truck. "... What...?" Taking his helmet off, Lelouch crawled out of the car, and headed towards the railing at the side of the highway. "Hey Rivalz, Cornelia, come check this out!"

"Wait, Lelouch, it looks like the power line is cut! Hey, wait!" Rivalz called after the already running Lelouch. "You can't just-"

"It's alright, I'll go after him." Cornelia had gotten out of her car already and glanced at the crashed truck. _What a nasty crash..._ "Besides, knowing Lelouch, he can't get far without passing out from fatigue. I'll catch up with him." Winking at Rivalz, she turned to her sister. "Euphy, you must stay."

"But I-" Euphemia protested.

"No. It's dangerous. Stay with Rivalz. I'll be back soon; I promise."

The stern look on Cornelia's face effectively shut her up. Euphemia knew better than to argue with her sister. Cornelia could be so stubborn at times. _I'm not a little kid anymore you know!_

* * *

"Hey, are you alright?" Lelouch called at the truck. He tried to move a metal beam crushing into the front half of the truck, but it wouldn't budge. _Who am I kidding? I can't move that! I can't even pick up Euphy without huffing and puffing..._ He climbed up a ladder on the back of the truck and called again. No answer. _Were they dead...?_

"Lelouch, what on earth are you doing? Get down from there!" Cornelia called from the bottom of the ladder. She had caught up to him already, and was eyeing him suspiciously, bringing Lelouch out of his thoughts.

"But somebody's probably hurt, I-"

Shaking her head, she thought to herself: _Lelouch... Always the pride. Your pride dictates what to do... And I hope it will be the reason for your failure. _"Then let me help," Cornelia climbed up two steps on the ladder, "there's no way you'd be able to-"

But she was cut off when the van suddenly jerked backwards, and then sped away from the abandoned building. Lelouch, who had not been expecting the van to suddenly move, fell into the van with a loud thud and a surprised yelp.

"Lelouch!" Cornelia yelled, worried that he might have broken a bone or something of the sort. After all... He was physically fragile, even thought his incredible intellect often made up for his pathetic stamina. She climbed up the remaining rungs of the ladder and jumped, landing with impeccable balance on the balls of her feet.

* * *

"Stop the vehicle! Surrender now, and you get the chance to defend yourself in court! Stop! And surrender at once! Give up now, or we'll shoot to kill!" The broadcasted voice of a soldier was clearly heard by everyone in the van.

"Now what do we do? That's the army!" Nagata whined impatiently.

"Have you forgotten? That's what I'm here for!" Kallen exclaimed, boldly flinging off her hat, revealing her face. Sparkling azure eyes stood in stark contrast to her wild flaming hair. Leaving the passenger's seat, she headed to he back of the truck.

* * *

"If I jump out now, I'll have the choice of breaking my neck or getting shot. Either way..." Lelouch mumbled.

"There's no way you could jump, Lelouch. Maybe I could, but what about you? And there's-"

They were interrupted from their whispering when a girl strode in from the front of the truck, and they quickly hid behind a huge metal capsule in the back of the truck. _What the heck was that anyway?_ Stripping off her jacket while she walked, she tossed it to the side like a dish rag, and started up some stairs in a hurry.

"Can you enter the subway via the Azabu route?" The red-head suggested to the driver without turning her head as she continued up the stairs.

"Kallen, lets use it here! Why not?" The driver responded. _That's not even answering the question..._ Lelouch thought. _And use what?_

"Because that would mean a bloodbath!" The red-head, Kallen, was quick to respond, waving aside the suggestion without a second thought.

Lelouch and Cornelia stared at each other. _What on earth had they gotten themselves into?_ One moment they were on their merry way to school, and the next, they were on a terrorist truck with their own military shooting at them! Of course, the government had no idea that their own exiled prince and princess were in that truck, but still... Lelouch stared at the girl's back... _She looks so familiar... I've seen her somewhere before..._ He zeroed in on Kallen's back, and threw a questioning look at his sister, with one eye-brow raised. Cornelia looked over at Lelouch, only offering a shrug.

Kallen was already seated in the knightmare, and just as the back of the truck was beginning to open, she shot a slash harken at the a helicopter, retracting and sending it out again, effectively causing two helicopters to quickly explode.

"A slash harken?!" A soldier in the third helicopter exclaimed.

But as the back of the truck opened entirely, a red Glasgow came into view, poised and ready to fight.

"A knightmare?!" The other soldier stared in shock. A mere helicopter armed with guns was no match for a knightmare, as the armour of a knightmare was considerably stronger than a regular, run-of-the-mill, military helicopter. The bullets would do little penetrate the armour.

"You guys know full well what this badass mother can do!" Kallen threatened through her knightmare's communicator. After all, this was what the filthy Britannians had used to defeat them in the war seven years ago... The thought still triggered a wave of anger. _Those bastards deserve to die! Simply because of our underground resources, they invaded us even as we tried to remain neutral to Britannia's conquests! It was the first time the humanoid autonomous battle armoured knights were used in combat. They came to be known as the Knightmare Frame, or, knightmare. They obliterated our defence line, and stripped our proud nation of its freedom, rights and even name. Area 11. They re-christened us with a mere number! Therefore we are not Elevens, we are Japanese! You robbed it from us! I have purpose for fighting!_

A larger aircraft descended on the speeding van, like a hawk observing the prey below, and a snide voice came over the open communication channel: "I can only assume you dug that obselete relic out of some scrap heap. An over-the-hill Glasgow is no match for a new Sutherland. Not to mention a filthy Eleven who spurns the compassion of our glorious emperor!"

A shiny metallic monster was let down on ropes, and busied himself with engaging in combat with the red Glasgow. Slash harkens and bullets were fired, but they were parried and blocked, and as Kallen jumped from the back of the truck, she landed on the pavement and swerved to evade the oncoming assault. For an "Eleven," Kallen was extremely talented, and was on par with the snobbish man.

The simple sound of his voice caused Kallen's blood to boil. _The Purist Faction! _They were never afraid to voice their distaste for the Elevens, believing with all their heart that the Elevens were an inferior race. _No... They weren't even considered citizens in their eyes, for citizens would have certain undeniable rights, and they had none..._

"Kallen, we should both split up! The both of us can't risk being killed! Run for it!" Nagata yelled through their private communication system.

"But!-" Kallen began. Her short temper was always what seemed to govern most of her decisions, and unfortunately, in retrospect, they were definitely not always the best decisions.

"Both of us can't risk getting killed!" Turning for an exit, a Sutherland was waiting for the unsuspecting truck, and bullets from an assault rifle penetrated the thin layer of metal on the car, shattering the glass in the front, and severely wounding the driver in the process.

Swerving to the left, Nagata took an exit on the left to avoid the barrage, and descended into the old subway systems in the Shinjuku ghetto, with his other hand clutching his stomach. _I must...-_

* * *

_Holy crap! These are real time terrorists! No cell phone reception...? We're out of the range. _Lelouch's brain churned, as he constantly thought of a possible way to escape the current mess they were in. Thinking was always what Lelouch was best at. His intellectual capacity was hardly surpassed by anyone. There were only a rare few, but... _Judging from the darkness and road surface... We must driving along the old subway lines... They're headed for an exit somewhere in the ghetto... Getting out would be dangerous... Still... Okay... I've got it... I'm not big on the military, but I'll take their protection. If I give them a terrorist communicator..._ Lelouch made to grab a communicator lying in the back of the truck, but Cornelia grabbed his wrist, and stopped him. Shaking her head, she whispered for him that it wouldn't be safe, since the military would probably ignore their pleas, thinking it was a trap to lure them out, and would gun them down immediately anyway.

A huge bump startled Lelouch and Cornelia.

"An accident...?"

"Or...?"

The van had suddenly come to a stop with a screeching protest from the tires, and he look questioningly at Cornelia, when a side of the van suddenly creaked open. And after a moment of tense silence, Lelouch motioned to Cornelia, as he made his way to the capsule. "We can use this chance to get up."

"Wait!-" Cornelia cried, turning to stare at horror to see a Britannian soldier, appearing out of nowhere, fly through the air aiming a spinning kick to her brother's face. As Lelouch crumpled to the ground, Cornelia whirled around just in time to face the attacker, and parried a kick to the face with her arm, just as the assaulter had recovered from kicking Lelouch.

"Are you a Britannian?" Lelouch demanded, slowly propping himself up on one elbow.

"That's enough mindless murdering!" the soldier merely responded. He threw a glance at the girl and instead ran for the boy heaving on the ground. The soldier was correct in quickly analysing that the boy was the much weaker fighter.

"Wait, I'm not one of them!" Lelouch protested, as a flying fist whistled to his face.

"Planning on using poison gas? Don't play dumb with me!" But the soldier fell with a resounding thump. It was a terrible mistake for him to disregard the better fighter of the two. Cornelia had kicked him in the side of the stomach, disrupting the fatal trajectory of the punch.

"We're not here by choice!" Cornelia thundered. Glaring at the Britannian soldier, now on the floor of the truck, clutching at his throbbing side.

"Mindless murder?" Lelouch spat at the soldier. He was visibly seething, his cheeks flushed. Slowly stalking towards the defeated soldier, his eyes bore straight into the expressionless gas mask that he wore, and he continued: "Then why don't you just obliterate Britannia?!"

"Oh my god..." The soldier gasped. Tentatively at first, the soldier stood up, slowly removing his mask. Familiar green eyes and ruffled brown hair greeted them. "Lelouch, Cornelia! It's me, Suzaku!"

"You..." Cornelia stammered, as her eyes widened considerably.

"You became a Britannian soldier?" Lelouch asked with disbelief.

"Yeah, and what about you guys? You're..."

"What are you talking about?" Lelouch frowned at Suzaku, nonplussed.

The sound of something unlocking caused all three to stare at the capsule as it suddenly opened on its own accord. Suzaku, trusting Cornelia to figure out to get as far away as possible from the capsule, took off his own gas mask, and placed it on Lelouch's face, shoving him to the floor.

However, when the capsule opened completely, a beautiful girl was seen in the capsule. Flipping her long green tresses back, she glanced with piercing golden eyes, at the visitors, before she fell unconscious and into the truck. The strangest part of her appearance was what she was wearing... A white straight jacket with grey buckles that kept her legs and arms together, and the cloth covering her mouth to prevent her from making any noises. Clearly, she was a prisoner, but Lelouch could not remember ever seeing a single prisoner ever wearing such foreign attire... Even with the public execution of many a criminal, with the prisoner paraded up the street, for the life of him, Lelouch could not recall what it was that needed to be under such tight supervision. _Is this what's causing all the commotion...? What could possibly be so-_

"That's not poison gas! What is it...?" Suzaku, the first to break the silence, stopped staring at the mysterious girl and looked over at the two royal siblings.

"I-I don't know what-" Cornelia was still in a trance, staring at the fragile form of the girl, bound together, and utterly helpless.

Of course, it was Lelouch who was the first to break the resulting awkward silence with a plan already formulated in his mind. "We should give her some room to move at least... I doubt being bound in such a manner would help her to regain consciousness... Perhaps we could ask her when we free her. She doesn't seem capable of harming us anyways."

With the help of Suzaku, Lelouch gingerly carried the girl out of the ground and laid her on the ground, a few feet from the truck. They mindlessly starting unbuckling the belt around her legs, and shortly after, Cornelia joined them.

"Tell me the truth, Suzaku! Poison gas?" Lelouch asked his friend.

"Hey, it's what they told me in the briefing, I swear!"

Just then, a flashlight settled on the three of them, and they looked up at the sudden appearance of a commander and his troops.

"Stinking monkey! Being an honorary Britannian will not excuse you!"

Suzaku quickly dropped the belt he was holding and ran to his commander's side. The other soldiers eyed him suspiciously but were smart enough to keep quiet.

"But sir! I was told this was poison gas!"

"How dare you question orders?!"

_This is bad... A poisonous situation... Which would pose a threat to Suzaku's superiors if it's unleashed..._

"However," the commander continued, a twisted malevolent grin forming on his scarred face," in light of your outstanding military achievements, I'm going to be lenient. Private Kururugi, take this and execute the terrorist."

Cornelia and Lelouch stared at each other, at the mysterious girl, and then back at the commander and his squadron, and a tiny gasp was heard from Cornelia.

"But they're not terrorists! They're civilians who got caught up in all of this!" Suzaku protested, flailing his arms in a futile effort to barter for Lelouch and Cornelia's freedom. _IF only they knew that they were royalty... And that in fact, the army sent by their very own father had failed to kill them... No... After so many years, we cannot blow the cover right now... Oh, but you fool, Suzaku! They'll kill you if you don't-_

"You insubordinate little... That's an order! Didn't you swear your loyalty and your life to Britannia?" the commander was positively growling at Suzaku at this point.

"Yes... But, I can't..."

A slight pause came before the ominous one-word threat: "What...?"

As if to secure his one-way trip to the grave, Suzaku promptly replied, "I won't do it sir. I won't shoot a civilian. I can't follow your orders, sir." Suzaku had turned around with his back facing the commander. A genuinely warm smile painted his face, as tried to reassure them with only his facial expression. A sincere smile. One of concern. Alas, it would not last.

His breath caught in his throat. Lelouch had not seen that placid smile since many years ago, when he, Cornelia, Euphemia, Nunnally and Suzaku played together at the Kururugi shrine. A painful deluge of memories caused Lelouch to freeze in terror as the impending death of his long-lost friend seemed evident, as Suzaku had turned his back away from the commander, leaving himself vulnerable.

"Very well then..." The commander had already shot him in the back. Suzaku slumped to the ground as Lelouch desperately called his name. Cornelia just stared at the commander, still somewhat in a stupor, struggling to maintain her rage.

"Well, Britannian school children, not a good day to cut class!" The commander leered. He abruptly turned and addressed his squadron, "collect the prisoner girl. After you've secured her, kill the students."

"Yes, my lord!" The soldiers replied in unison.

By some stroke of luck, although whether it truly was luck or not, Lelouch couldn't be sure, but the truck behind him suddenly exploded. Although the blast was directed upwards, Lelouch, Cornelia and the imprisoned girl were thrown forward from the truck, landing harshly on the ground.

Sharing a quick look at Cornelia, both nodded, seemingly agreeing on a course of action. Grabbing the girl, the royal siblings ran along the tunnel, using the smoke from the explosion to escape undetected. _He killed himself..._ Lelouch frowned at the group, inhaling deeply with a strained effort to remain calm.

* * *

Slightly gasping from the run, Lelouch and Cornelia were trembling, lying flat on their stomachs against the staircase that led to ground level. The mysterious green-haired girl seemed to have regained consciousness, and was propped up awkwardly against the back of the stairs. She seemed to be fidgeting in her suit. _She's probably trying to get out of that... thing... Prisoner suit...?_

Chaos reigned above ground, as they were greeted with the desperate pleas of innocent civilians, the perpetual thrum and explosions of bullets and the high-pitched screeching of tires. _Clovis must have ordered a massacre... _Anguish filling his mind, he cried internally, _but why?!_ The screeching of tires, whistling of bullets and symphony of explosions stood testament to the how desperate the ruler of Area 11 was. _Why?_ A panicked Lelouch thought. Although Lelouch could not understand why, the girl in the capsule was extremely important, and needed to be kept hidden from the world. So instead of admitting his failure, he had the entire ghetto be destroyed. _Like they always say, dead men don't speak and thus cannot spread secrets..._ Lelouch thought, with a dour expression. An ear-splitting, heart-wrenching cry of a baby resounded through the air, and Lelouch lurched forward, only to be held back by Cornelia. There was a clatter of footsteps as soldiers neared their hideout, but a single shot was fired, and the crying was no more.

_Despicable beasts!_ Lelouch cried in his mind. _It was just a baby! It's not like it can even talk yet! What the hell had the baby ever-_

The shrill tone of Lelouch's cell phone rang through the empty warehouse alerting the troops of a survivor. Cursing silently, Lelouch immediately cancelled the call on his phone, while Cornelia risked a glance over the edge of the last step, and paled considerably. Lelouch motioned for Cornelia to make a break for it with the girl, but she only vehemently shook her head. Lelouch grimaced.

* * *

"What an appropriate location for a terrorist to meet his end." Another commander jeered at him. Lelouch and Cornelia had been roughly shoved up against the rusty, metallic wall of the abandoned warehouse, and the other girl was loosely held as hostage behind the troops. These troops wore a roan red uniform, and had their guns trained on them already.

"You filthy pigs!" Cornelia shrieked at the soldiers.

Lelouch was livid too. "You scum!" How could these soldiers be so corrupted? They shot innocent people and a baby... And... _Suzaku! _He cried out in his mind. What pointlessly heinous crimes! There was no purpose in annihilating the innocent!

"Still, you did well for a student, but that is to be expected. You're a Britannian. Unfortunately, my clever young friends, you have no future!" As the latter half of what the commander was saying left his lips, he had lifted his gun trained on his heart, to his head, intending to blow his brains out. Pressing down on the trigger to fire the bullet, there was a flurry of movement caught from the corner of his eye.

The hostage had broken free of her confines, and ran out in front of Lelouch and Cornelia. Her amber eyes were glittering in determination, and her arms were held out protectively in front of them. The cloth around her mouth fell loose around her neck as she exclaimed, "They mustn't die!"

The commander was shocked, but it was already too late. He had already pushed down the trigger and the bullet made contact with the middle of the girl's forehead. Slumping down in front of Lelouch and Cornelia, a pool of blood immediately forming around the back of her head.

"You...!" Lelouch started.

"You just shot her!" Cornelia glared at the commander. _What the hell_?! She grabbed Lelouch's wrist as they both knelt to the ground in shock.

Although he was slightly phased by the turn of events, he regained his composure and drawled on apathetically, "Hnnn... Our orders were to bring her back alive if possible. Oh well, nothing can be done about it now. We'll tell our superiors that the royal guard found the terrorist hide out and killed them all. Regrettably, the female hostage had already been tortured to death. What do you think, school children?"

Eyes widening, Lelouch and Cornelia shared a petrified look. _How can this be happening? First Suzaku's killed. And this girl... Now... Cornelia and I are about to die... Before I've had a chance to do a single thing with my life... It's gone in a heartbeat! Nunnally! Euphy!_

Lelouch stared down at the girl as she seemed to twitch. Her pale hands shot out to hold on to Cornelia and Lelouch's hand.

A peculiar sensation shot through his mind. What on earth was happening? He seemed to feel a presence push its way into his mind, his subconscious. Blind to reality, both siblings were frozen in place, and a melodic voice sounded in their minds: _You don't want it to end here do you?_ Lelouch could feel the panic rising in his chest, suffocating him. What on earth was going on? He could sense that Cornelia seemed to be feeling the same thing too, for she instinctively gripped his wrist tighter, seemingly trying to cut off his circulation. _You two appear to have a reason for living..._

The voice in his mind... It was that girl's! But... But that's impossible! She was shot in the forehead point-blank! How?-

_If I grant you power, could you go on?_ The mesmerising charm in her voice was alluring and enticing, and he was still unable to speak, so instead, he listened intently._ I propose a deal. In exchange for this power, you must agree to make my one wish come true. Accept this contract, and you accept its conditions. While living in a world of humans, you will live unlike any other. A different providence, a different time, a different life. The Power of the King will condemn you to a life of solitude._

_I don't want to die!_ Lelouch thought to himself, feeling stricken for time. He had to accomplish the vow he made so many years ago... In his subconscious, Lelouch bellowed, _I hereby accept the terms of your contract!_

"Say, how should Britannian royalty who detest their own country live their lives?" Lelouch was the first straighten up and regain his normal composure. Although Cornelia seemed to lessen her death grip on Lelouch's wrist, she still held on, and followed Lelouch's lead by standing up again. A tingling feeling of where Cornelia was still holding on to Lelouch had him wondering... He could feel Cornelia's emotions, swirling around in her mind: anger, confusion, surprise... But above all, a strange sensation had settled in his left eye. Both siblings had one of their hands covering their tingling eyes.

"Hmmm?! Are you two some kind of radical?" The commander was taken aback. It seemed that the boy and girl's attitude had drastically and abruptly changed. One moment they were pathetically cowering to his complete amusement, and the next, they were... Bold... They were defiant...

"What's wrong? Why not shoot? Your opponents are just school children." Cornelia started. The gun that had been trained on her heart was now wavering in the trembling hand of the commander.

"Or have you finally realized, the only ones who should kill, are those who are prepared to be killed?" Lelouch finished with a dramatic hand gesture to side. Flaring his Geass, he commanded in a harsh tone, "I, Lelouch vi Britannia commands you. Now all of you, die!"

After only a slight pause, the commander cackled in a maniacal manner. A faint ring of red light encircled his iris, the only visible tell-tale sign that he was completely subjugated by Lelouch's command.

"Happily, your highness!" Answering in a deranged, yet monotonous tone, the commander and all his troops chorused in unison. They cocked the barrel of the gun and brought it straight to their exposed necks, and without so much as a blink, they fired.


	2. Chapter 2

~~~The Sengoku Period-Feudal Japan~~~

A slight breeze ruffled through the thick black tresses of a young woman who stood amongst the towering trees in the forest. The grass swayed gracefully in the wind and unseen birds chirped cheerful tunes through the forest. A pair of white butterflies fluttered round and round, twirling around each other in a graceful manner, and finally settled on a nearby flower. The sun peered just over the canopy of the trees and cast long shadows over the land. It was a peaceful day.

"I miss mom... Grandpa... Souta..." the young woman whispered to no one in particular. She had been merely standing there for minutes on end without movement. Sharp blue eyes gazed around the forest and softened, staring at the old wooden well. The Bone Eater's Well. Trudging through the tall grass, she headed towards the well. It was quite shabby now, from what she remembered of it. It had been five years since she last came back... The well had not worked since she crossed back to the Feudal Era after three years being sealed away from Inuyasha and all her friends. She was overjoyed at being able to see her best friends and future husband at the time, and shamefully, in her excitement, she never thought twice about whether or not she would be able to see her family again.

The young woman wore the traditional dress of a miko: a white jacket with red cords through the sleeves and open shoulders. There were strings attached to each lapel and tied in the front to keep the garment closed. The kosode had sleeves that extended to about her wrist, and the slits on the side of her hakama showed the white kosode she sported underneath. Finally, a bright red nagabakama completed her attire. She also had a quiver of arrows and bow slung over her shoulder.

_I miss home... I wonder how everyone is?_ Gingerly placing her pale hands on the edge of the well, the young woman stared down into the depths of the well. Shutting her eyes, she allowed herself to be overwhelmed by the past, rewinding and replaying memories, and all the while reminiscing of her home. It was not like she didn't enjoy the company she had, but she had family... And she had been sealed off from them for five years. A single unexpected tear leaked from her eyes, and it rolled, travelling down the contours of her face and settling on her jaw, before dripping onto the wooden well.

After a moment of utter silence, the wind picked up, and the woman frowned, glancing around the meadow and nearby forest. There was nobody here, so what...? But when she shifted her gaze back to the bottom of the well, she gasped. _I can feel it!_ The well sang, humming with energy. _This is my chance!_ She yearned to jump into the well to cross the time border back to her own time, but Inuyasha... She wanted to go back to Kaede's village and tell him that she'd be ok... She had just left him to his own devices after requesting an after supper walk alone. He worried so much sometimes, and she definitely didn't want him rampaging through her house back in modern day Japan looking for her. _I hope he understands..._

With that, the woman jumped into the well, and when she landed, she knew she was back home. But something seemed different... _What was that loud cracking sound in the background? Could it be...? _She climbed her way up the make-shift rope ladder at the side of the well, and when she reached the top, looked around the dank wooden shrine, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. But when she climbed the remaining steps to the top of the shrine to slid open the old wooden door, her eyes widened.

_Where am I?_ She screamed in her head. _This isn't my home!_ Panicked, she ran out of the small shrine in the backyard towards her house. Or, what was her house... It was ghostly immaculate, and impossibly well manicured. This... This, was not her house... This house was pale, with white-washed walls, and large French windows adorned the sides of the blindingly clean walls. The perfectly mowed lawn was surrounded by a dainty white picket fence.

Cracking gunshots and agonized screams brought her back to reality. _Guns? Screams?!_ What on earth was going on? Sprinting to the front door of the house with her quiver and bow slapping at her back, she knocked, hoping that by some odd stroke of luck, her parents had somehow afforded to buy a new house with servants to take care of the lawn...

No answer. She tried the door handle and was surprised to find that it was unlocked. Scanning the outside, she silently slipped into the house and locked the door behind her. When she turned around, her breath caught in her throat. Eyes nearly bulging out of her head, she stared in horror at the scene in front of her. It was a bloody mess! Walking forward a couple paces, the young woman peered into the kitchen on the right, and silverware was strewn across the counters, with dirty and smashed plates on the floor. Looking back in front of her, two lifeless bodies were laying pitifully on the floor. The splattered blood around and behind them on the coffee table was almost enough to bring the woman to her knees. The blood looked fresh, as it still seemed to ooze out a little from their waists.

"Go... Run..." The half-dead man croaked.

The young woman squealed, thinking the husband and wife to be long dead. The man was shot several times around the navel of his body and was losing profuse amounts of blood. After recovering from her initial shock, the young woman glanced around, searching for something to staunch the blood, and life, from escaping him. But upon drawing near the man, he seemed to sense her intentions and shook his head, weakly motioning for her to come closer to his side. Hesitating at first, she eventually traversed the short distance to where he lay, dying in his own home.

"Britannia defeated us and slaughtered every defiant Japanese..." The man choked, and coughed up blood, heaving slightly and pausing to clear his throat. Distressed, she tried to prop the man up against the short coffee table, but he feebly shook his head. He accepted his death like it was pre-destined for him to be murdered by corrupt government soldiers on a whim, in his own home. Tears welled up in the woman's eyes, but his half-conscious, empty stare still held her transfixed.

"Avenge your family and our once proud nation. Show the world that the Japanese are not dead yet, under their tyrannical dictatorship. Show them..." but his pale, frigid hand, which had latched on to the woman's wrist earlier, slackened, and with resounding finality, it fell to the ground, one last time. Kagome cried.

* * *

"So this is where you Eleven vermin scurried off to? Prepare to fire." The commander in a tank ordered to his soldiers.

"Naoto!" Kallen cried in blinding terror. _I've failed! I'm sorry! I tried... To resist... But I-!_

A blaring voice of royalty trumpeted through all the sound systems in Britannia, carrying a message for all, miraculously rescuing the trapped civilians in the Shinjuku Ghetto in an abandoned ware house. _What's this called...? Divine intervention? I'm sure even though I miss so much class, I do still learn... I think... I think it's called deus ex machina? _A morose half-smile tugging at her lips. Who would expect that the voice who had ordered a genocide, would be their saviour as well?

"Attention all forces! Cease fire at once! I Clovis, third prince of Britannia and royal viceroy of Area 11 hereby command you, all forces are ordered to ceasefire at once. Also, you will all cease destruction of any buildings or property. All casualties, whether Britannian or Eleven shall be treated equally, and without prejudice! In the name of Clovis la Britannia, you are hereby ordered, ceasefire out once. I shall allow no further fighting!"

Confused at the sudden change of orders, the soldiers shot venomous daggers at the Elevens and rebels in the warehouse before reluctantly, they backed out of the warehouse to report back to their command centre.

Staring at each other in bewilderment, the denizens of the warehouse were wary in getting their hopes up. Kallen was the first to speak:

"Ohgi... What do we do now...?" Turning to face the hastily promoted leader. Ohgi had taken the leadership left by Nagata, since he seemed nowhere to be found. They were interrupted when a young girl, with wavy raven hair and confused cerulean eyes sauntered up to them. They were taken aback by her traditional miko out fit.

_Why would she have these clothes on...? She'd be discriminated for sure! But she seems to be a half... Like me... So maybe... But then why would she promote her Japanese half...? Or perhaps she's like me... _Kallen glanced at the girl and was perplexed to find a bow and a quiver of arrows were slung over her slender shoulder. _Is she really a... a miko...? That can't be... It- It can't be possible..._

"Excuse me, sir, miss," she bowed her head in respect, facing Ohgi and I, and continued, tentatively, "do you know what's going on? I have just come back from a far country and I was told that I was in an accident and that's why I don't remember much about anything, and that my parents were assassinated. Would you be able to help me?"

Eyeing the strange girl who seemed to be about Kallen's age, Kallen was quick to respond and blurted:

"How do we know if you're not just some Britannian spy?"

Holding up a hand to silence Kallen, Ohgi faced the girl and asked, "May we at least have your name? You seem nice, but like Kallen here has said, we can't readily trust anyone."

"I'm sorry. All I remember is my first name. I'm Kagome." The ebony-haired girl replied, with a shy tip of her head. She held out her shaking hand as an offer.

Smiling warming, Ohgi clasped her hands in his. "Well, Kagome, I'm pleased to meet you. My name is Ohgi. You seem very shy. Nothing like a prideful, obnoxious Britannian, so why don't you join us for a while?"

"I would like that very much. Thank you very much sir. I- I mean Ohgi." The girl grinned sheepishly.

Ohgi's expression darkened after Kallen offered her handshake to Kagome and the both exchanged a polite and somewhat strained line or two of introduction.

"However, there has a been a major change in Area- I mean Japan. Maybe we can meet somewhere else to discuss these matters in private? I doubt the soldiers would want to disobey a direct order, but we better get somewhere safe before they change their minds."

Kallen offered up her residence, and so while the Elevens dispersed and the petite resistance group disbanded, the three wordlessly trudged along the chaos-strewn roads in the Shinjuku Ghetto to head to Kallen's house.


	3. Chapter 3

~~~Shinjuku Ghetto~~~

The setting sun cast on the disfigured and crumbling buildings in the ruined city cast long shadows on the ground. A slight breeze crept up, causing some to shiver in response. An eerie silence, save for the shuffling of feet could be heard throughout the Shinjuku Ghetto. Of the few people alive after the massacre earlier that day, they attempted to find somewhere to reside for the time being. Most of the homes were destroyed and make-shift tents were appearing throughout the residential area. An occasional wary whisper could be heard, trickling through the crowd. Why was a cease fire suddenly ordered? No one would ever really find out of course, but it had been a relief nonetheless for the rebels. They had lived another day.

~~~The Conduct Floor~~~

"I... I'm overjoyed, Lelouch! Cornelia! They said that you both died when Japan was brought into the fold. What a blessing to have you two back! We should depart for the homeland immediately!" Extremely frightened, Clovis la Britannia cowered into his elevated seat. It was reminiscent of a throne, although noticeably less elaborate, and white being the predominant colour. Lelouch was holding a gun, aimed straight for his head.

"Hello, brother..."

"Wh- Where did y-you just come f-from?" If Clovis had had way, he would have melted into a puddle on the throne. Cornelia had suddenly appeared, seemingly from thin air.

"Cornelia..." Lelouch chuckled, "try not to frightened Clovis too much. You've taken to enjoying your power... Callously manipulating his sight..."

Smirking, Cornelia simply sauntered over, to Lelouch, standing behind him, and ignoring him, she simply addressed her other half-brother, "And what makes you think we want to go back?" Putting heavy emphasis on 'wanting,' Lelouch refocused on Clovis, still trembling into the throne.

"So you can use us as tools of diplomacy? It seems you've forgotten why we were used as tools in the first place." Lelouch continued in an unnaturally calm tone, masking his growing irritation at the pathetic man in front of him. It irked him that his brother was all theatrics and nothing else. Clovis had never been good at anything other than acting. Lelouch remembered, what seemed like ages ago, that they had played chess against each other at the Aries Villa. Of course, Lelouch had always won unanimously.

"That's right." Lelouch continued, as if Clovis was even capable of even formulating a coherent answer, with a gun trained to his forehead. "It was because my mother was killed."

Shuddering as the horrendous memories of his mother engulfed him, Lelouch shook his head, clearing his thoughts. _Now is not the time to be crying about it._ Composing himself, he continued, "Mother held the title of Knight of Honour, but was a commoner by birth. No doubt the other imperial consorts held her in contempt... Even though you made it look like the work of terrorists... I'm no fool."

Standing behind Lelouch, Cornelia noticed the slightly visible tremors of rage begin to rack Lelouch's small frame. _What poor luck Clovis has. I would never thought he was capable of ruling in any form. And to be assigned to Area 11... There's no way out now..._

"You people killed my mother!" Lelouch finished with an aggressive accusatory glare.

Pupils contracting and eyes widening from the visible aggression, Clovis backed even farther into his chair than one would think was possible, bringing both his hands next to his head in submission.

"It wasn't me! I swear to you it wasn't!"

Cornelia temporarily allowed herself to plunge into the depressing memories she held in the past... _That's right... Marianne herself told me that I was not to enter that day... She told me not to be in the palace... I- I should've held my ground! I should've stayed with her even as she refused!_ Her eyes watered, for she was inspired and looked up to Lelouch's mother, but she knew that dwelling in the past was of no use now...

"Then tell me everything you know. The truth cannot be hidden from me any longer." Lelouch commanded, flaring his Geass. "by who's hand was she slain?"

Overcome by the Lelouch's Geass, Clovis slumped back, relaxing into the mock throne, a red glow encircling his iris. Under its influence, unaware of the imposing threat of the gun, his jaw slackened and was slightly agape.

"My brother, second Prince Schneizel. They can tell you." Clovis answered, in a monotonous tone.

"He is at the heart of this?" An incredulous look momentarily broke through Lelouch's emotional mask. _Schneizel?! No... It can't be! _ He had always been his favourite brother, and was, in fact, the person who taught him to play chess in his pass time, and was the only person that Lelouch could never definitively beat, for his mental prowess was unparalleled.

Clovis opened and promptly closed his mouth, unable to give an answer.

Relinquishing the hold of his Geass over Clovis, and said man stiffened in his seat, suddenly aware that a gun was threatening to rob him of his life again, and threw both his arms up flailing and trembling again.

"I swear it wasn't me! I had... Nothing to do with it!"

A malicious smirk crept up Lelouch's face as Cornelia observed the whole exchange. It was quite sickening really... To watch her brother turn from a frightened, abandoned puppy, to a docile slave and back again. The way Lelouch was able to manipulate his victims to do his bidding was slightly unnerving, to be utterly honest... _I guess I'm not THAT much better... I mess with people's ability to see..._

"I believe you..." Lelouch lowered his gun with a cruel smirk. "However..." Traversing the short distance between them, he once again brought the gun up to his brother's head, an inch from his perspiring skin, destroying all hope that Lelouch would go easy on him.

"Please, you can't! We might have different mothers, but you and I are still blood!" Not having the intended effect, he turned to Cornelia, hoping to try and appeal to her compassion.

Unfortunately, Cornelia was a fearsome, ruthless warrior. She was incapable of feeling compassion. Of course, there was a rare exception, but Clovis was not included. She stared back blankly at Clovis and then at Lelouch, curious as to whether or not he would have the guts to actually kill his own brother.

Pushing down on the trigger, Lelouch stated, "You can't change the world without getting your hands dirty."

~~~Ashford Academy~~~

"Wake up, Lelouch! I know you were sleeping! Your hands stopped moving!"

An irritated blond held rolled up papers, and was currently whacking Lelouch on the head with it. Head propped on up his left hand, Lelouch woke with a start. They were in the Student Council room, a pleasant little room, really. Beige walls were occupied by bulletin boards, some notices tacked to the wall. Two cabinets lined the side wall behind Lelouch, and an impossibly enormous window grace the room with morning sun. Dust motes were seen swirling in the gentle sun rays. Bookshelves lined another wall, and couch occupied that last. The wooden table they were all currently working on took up the middle of the room.

"Well you don't have to beat me up over it do you?" Glancing around the room, Lelouch noticed that evidently, everyone else was indeed working. Nina, sitting in her usual corner, furiously typing away at her laptop... _I wonder what use she could be... She seems awfully focused on whatever it is that she's working on... I'll have to investigate this... Perhaps Cornelia would have an idea... _Shirley, who sat to the immediate left of Lelouch, had her orange hair half pulled up and had both arms on the table, paper scattered around her. Rivalz sat at the head of the table, left leg crossed over the right in a nonchalant fashion, with a pencil in his right hand, he faced a mountain of paper, tapping the butt of the pencil against the bottom of his lips in fake concentration. Finally, Milly stood directly in front of Lelouch across the table, with a stern look on her face.

"Serves you right for ditching me like that." Rivalz lectured, waving a pencil in Lelouch's direction with a stupid grin on his face.

"That's right! What was up with you yesterday?" Turning to face Lelouch on her right, an annoyed expression painted her face as she recalled him abruptly and rather impolitely ended a call on her.

"Oh... Well..." Lelouch trailed off, as he stared at the fascinating lines on the table, unconsciously curling his left hand into a fist at the memory. _Clovis..._

"That's enough you guys! Let's not get sidetracked here. If we don't come up with a fix for the club activities budget, there won't be money left for anything at all!" Milly lectured, a sigh escaping her, lips pursed from having to take a break at torturing Lelouch. She loved teasing the council members, but above all, Lelouch was her prime target... He was such fun to banter with! Besides, she was the only one here who knew of Lelouch's true identity, but that was aside from Cornelia of course, who was inducted as a teacher upon her grandfather's request.

"And if it comes to that, then the..." Nina started.

"The equestrian club will be pissed. We don't want them coming in here on horseback!" Rivalz supplied, earning a huff from Milly as she crossed her arms under her chest.

"Rivalz, can't you be a more serious student council member?"

"You know..." Shirley butt in, " it would've been nice of you if you would've reminded us of this mess a day ago!" defending Rivalz. Although she liked to help out on the Student Council, it was never fun to be notified the day before something as important as a budget was due.

"I would have to say a day later, then we would've given up!" Rivalz joked, paying no attention whatsoever to Milly's comment.

"Good idea! We can still do that." Lelouch turned, smiling at the suggestions that his friend made. Sometimes Rivalz was just hilarious to be around, and he really did appreciate his company, but sometimes he was a little too... Slow... For Lelouch's liking. Truthfully, he liked having someone challenge him...

"GUTS!" The president of the Student Council bellowed.

Cringing from the sudden outburst from Milly, Lelouch cracked open an eye lid and countered: "I really don't think that your magic is going to do a whole lot." _Besides, there's no- _Lelouch was interrupted from his thoughts when he was surprised to find Shirley acknowledge the president.

"Actually, it's got me going, Madam President!" Attempting to lighten the mood, Shirley cheerfully supported Milly.

Putting her hands on her hips, a wolfish smile stretched across Milly's face, "Supple and willing, that's what I like."

Bringing her right arm up from her side, Shirley flexed her arm to show off, beaming. "I train hard in the gymnastics club!"

"That's not what I'm getting at." Milly responded slyly. Her eyes narrowed and zeroed in on her chest. "You're a ten. From what I've seen in the girl's bathroom anyway. You've been filling out in the right places huh?" Her voice was husky, still locked in on her newest victim.

"Ho, ho..." Rivalz chuckled at Milly's temporary target, glancing at Shirley's chest, before Shirley managed to cover as much of her chest as possible with crossing her arms protectively over them.

"Wh- What are you talking about, you perv?!"

* * *

After the short trip to wash his face off in the boy's bathroom, Lelouch trudged back to class, his eyes briefly settling on the white-washed walls with golden patterns outlining the doors. Upon entering the classroom, Lelouch froze, staring at the red-head sitting at a desk two rows up and across from where he usually sat.

"Kallen! It's been ages!"

"Are you alright? Sophie's been worried sick all this time!"

"You're okay though, right?"

Bubbly girls surrounded Kallen's desk, overwhelming the girl with questions. They obviously seemed to be her friends, and Lelouch's eyes widened in recognition... _Of course! That's why she's so familiar! She's the one who was piloting the Glasgow!_ Moving to assume his usual seat, he overheard Kallen:

"Anyway, if I stay home any longer, I'll never catch up!"

Placing a friendly arm around Lelouch, he sat next him, teasing: "What's up buddy? See something you like? You got a thing for her don't you?" Knowing that it would probably irritate Lelouch, Rivalz said what was on his mind anyway. Wasn't it obvious? The first thing Lelouch did when he walked in the room was stare at the poor girl. Luckily, she didn't seem to notice, but Lelouch had practically handed him ammo...

Shaking his head in denial, Lelouch responded hastily, "Just thinking this is a rare event... She hasn't been here at school since this whole term started..."

Catching a glimpse of Kallen, still occupied with chattering with her friends and catching up, Rivalz sighed, explaining, " Kallen Stadtfeld. They say she's sick or something. And she barely showed up at school last year either. Still, her grades are at the top of the class." Pausing briefly for effect, he continued, " And she's a member of the Stadtfeld family, which means she's well bred and rolling in money. Man, you sure know how to pick 'em!"

Lelouch was quick to deny any feelings, however.

"Class, please settle down!" The teacher strode into the classroom, settling behind her desk with her elbows on the table and her hands clasped together. "I would like to introduce to you a new student who will be joining us this semester!" The teacher continued with a smile. Turning to face the door at the front of the class, she gestured for the student to come in.

A girl with silky, wavy, shoulder-length, black hair walked into the classroom, fidgeting with her new Ashford uniform. The girl was certainly beautiful, but was she Eleven? The girl's AshfordAcademy uniform hugged her curves tightly and a slight blush crept up his face. The beige colour of the uniform highlighting the beauty of her sharp cerulean eyes, scanning the room. Her gaze settle on Kallen and a smile tugged on a corner of her lips, pausing momentarily.

_She knows Kallen...? How...? Kallen's hardly in school! _He got an unnerving feeling from this girl, and a chill ran up his spine when her gaze stopped on him. Her eyes widened in fear, settling on his left eye, but just as soon as fear broke through her facade, it was gone, leaving Lelouch in a frenzy. _What? Was she afraid... Of me? I don't understand... Her eyes... God, what the hell was up with those soul-piercing blue eyes? It's like she knows about my-_ A tiny gasp escaped his lips, as a realization dawned on him. _Is that why, she looked at my left eye, like that?_

"Hello, my name is Kagome Kanejo," she began, positively beaming at her classmates with an enchanting smile plastered on her unblemished face, "I've just transferred here to Ashford since Kallen is my cousin, and I'm honoured to meet you all! I look forward to meeting you!"

Most of the boys in the room were already salivating at the sight of her curvaceous body and not to mention Kagome's natural charm and finesse with speech was truly admirable. Just as the most of the girls in the class had a huge crush on Lelouch, Kallen was confident that for the boys in the class, she would now share the damned throne with Kagome. A sigh of relief escaped her lips before a giggle slipped out. _Those boys won't know what hit them!_

* * *

Strolling through the well-tended to lawns of Ashford, she paused to momentarily enjoy the view. This serene atmosphere was nothing short of breath-taking. A slight breeze ruffled through her purple locks, toying with her bangs, and teasing her skin. She wore a white blouse with the top unbuttoned and the sleeves up half-way. Her flared, black dress pants caught the wind and rustled with it. Inhaling deeply, Cornelia visibly relaxed loosening her shoulders. It had been a while since she was able to let her guard down like this... She was on a staff lunch break, and stood quietly, leaning against a pillar in the courtyard, merely observing the interactions between some of the students.

Gazing around, her breath caught and she nearly choked when her eyes fell on a familiar looking red-head, who was currently nibbling on a sandwich with the rest of her friends, with the addition of an unfamiliar girl with wavy jet black hair, sitting next to her. A strange sense of foreboding settled in her mind as she stared at the back of the girl.

Unconsciously taking a step forward, she glanced around, checking for any one watching her, and continued her advance.

A sudden shriek sent the girls scurrying, and upon closer examination, Cornelia saw a bee, circling around the girls, and shook her head. _Pathetic. Don't they know that as long as you leave it alone, it won't sting you?_

The only girls who seemed not to be effected at all was the red head, maintaining her frail demeanour, and her friend, who's facial expression still did not change, even after the rest of their friends bolted off in a panic-induced frenzy. The red head and the raven haired girl slowly rose from their seats, and jogged to a nearby bush, crouching and turning around to face the direction that their friends who were still hiding. The red-head seemed to be completely oblivious to Cornelia, only a few feet behind her, lurking in the shadows cast by the supporting structures of the school. The same could not be said for the other. Said girl whipped her head around to bore into the shadows, searching, as her eyes adjusted to the sudden and sharp contrast in light. Momentarily blinded, Cornelia took the chance to flare her Geass, and stepped behind the pillar, completely out of sight.

Blinking in confusion but still staring in the general direction, the girl refocused on the red head next her, gripping a sandwich in her hand. Kagome feared the sandwich would soon turn into a messy clump, under the violent grip...

_I sense someone hiding from sight... And a terrible power, emanating from... From the left eye...? What on earth? Maybe it's that boy in my class... I felt a similar power in his eye too... No, it can't be... This one feels lighter, less... Conniving and manipulative... More... Brazen... Yes, this person felt more impulsive, but not nearly as terrible as Kallen._ She smirked, scrutinizing Kallen. _I'll have to use this amnesiac school girl act a little longer... I haven't quite dragged enough information out of you yet..._

"I don't get it, why's a bee after us? I wonder if there's a hive nearby?" The red head inquired, to no one in particular. Allowing her patience to wear thin, Kallen's eyes narrowed in aggression, and with an alarmingly accurate swipe, struck down the bee in a flash. It was as if the bee never even existed. Kagome cocked an eyebrow, to the point where her bangs eventually covered one of her eye brows.

_What an amusing girl. She has such a choleric disposition; it should prove entertaining to trifle with her emotions..._

"God, I hate this! I'm sick of acting like a freaking invalid!" Straightening, with a hilariously frustrated expression, she glared at the sky, roughly shoving her sandwich in her mouth and taking a frighteningly large bite out of her it, freezing when she noticed someone had appeared to the left of her.

_Crap! He saw me! Only Kagome knows here, I can't let him know too!_

_Yeah... That's definitely her... She's so... Fiery... Feisty...? How ironic that she has flaming red hair! _Cornelia grinned. _This should prove amusing... Let's see how she gets out of this one... _But that other girl... _My eye gets all tingly around her..._

_ There's no question it's her..._ Lelouch stood stalk still, peering into the shadows. A peculiar sensation settled in his left eye, as he glanced at the new girl, feeling slightly edgy and nervous. _Ridiculous! _Lelouch berated himself. _Don't be obnoxious! You've never even met this girl before in your life; what the hell do you have to be anxious about? _Returning his focus to Kallen, he opened his mouth to interrogate her when Kallen interrupted.

"C-can I help you with something?" Kallen asked demurely, masking her panic. _There's no way I'm going to let this egotistical lazy Britannian find out who I really-_

"I want answers." Lelouch simply replied, flaring his Geass. And as Kallen abruptly dropped her sickly school girl act, Kagome gasped.

_What was he DOING to her? _Kagome ogled in horror at the boy's left eye, as it glowed a sickening red, and a bird-like sigil appeared in his eye. Kagome felt a massive surge of power pouring from his left eye and found that Kallen was held, paralyzed, by this awful power. A telltale, glowing red ring around her eye, indicated that she was under the complete control of this boy.

What was strange was that although she could feel the command wrestling with her mind to gain dominance, Kagome easily fought it down having been exposed to enemies with more mental prowess, but thought it wise to pretend to be submissive as well. She decided that she wouldn't talk unless absolutely necessary.

"Were you the one piloting the Glasgow in Shinjuku?" Lelouch needed to confirm this... She was supremely skilled in piloting a knightmare, and he knew that knightmares would be integral to his victory against Britannia... His suspicions were confirmed when Kallen provided an affirmative answer. Pleased, he moved on to discover what the motivation was for her to fight.

"Why terrorism?"

"Because I'm Japanese. Though I'm technically half-Britannian." Kallen responded in the ever familiar monotonous, emotionless tone.

"Half-blood? Why go so far...?"

Kagome let slip an involuntary cringe at the word 'half-blood' but quickly maintained her facade, when she noticed that Lelouch now bore down on her with his illuminated left eye.

_It would not do if he saw through my disguise, he is one of remarkable power, that I'm sure of, so I must keep an eye on him... Keep him close... _It was quite disgusting how the boy could ask for anything right now and Kallen would never have refused, unable to fight off the command implanted in her mind... A slight shiver wracked her body, thinking of all the things that could've been done to her...

"And you, Kagome. Who are you really?" Lelouch turned to face her, bringing her out of her thoughts.

_Keep cool, keep cool. _Kagome reminded herself. _You've been in plenty of stressful situations, right? No need to freak out! _Trying to imitate the dull, uniform tone that Kallen was using and replied curtly, "I'm Kagome Kanejo, I'm also a half-Britannian."

Distracted, the Geass broke hold of Kallen, who blinked, and immediately resumed her sick girl act, as if completely forgetting what happened.

"I got what I wanted here." Lelouch turned to head back to the school, seeming as class was about to start soon. Stopping in his tracks, he spun around to face the two girls again. "Oh wait, just to be sure."

Flashing his Geass again, he commanded, "Don't tell anyone about Shinjuku."

"What do you mean about Shinjuku?"

"Why would you say that?" Kagome supplied, watching the boy's face morph into one filled with shock and surprise.

_I guess it's true all powers have their limits..._ Kagome trailed off, relishing his confusion.

Trying again, the scrawny, ebony haired teen forcefully instructed them to go back to class, and upon refusal, he slowly inched away, and was saved when a familiar voice from above called them.

"Hey, Lulu! Kallen! Kagome! You know it's time to head over to the Chemistry lab! You better get a move on!" Shirley waved from the open window, beckoning.

Using it to his advantage, Lelouch dramatically clasped his head in both his hands in look of feigned alarm. Sprinting off in the direction of the science department, he yelled over his shoulder, "Aw crap! It's my turn to set up for class!" leaving Kallen and Kagome to stare questioningly at each other, before they also made their way to class.

Waiting for a moment before peeking out from her place, after a minute or so, Cornelia removed herself from the cool of the shade and sauntered off to the next classroom that she would be teaching at. _This is an interesting development indeed..._


	4. Chapter 4

~~~AshfordAcademy~~~

Warm droplets of water cascaded down her body as she worked on rinsing off the suds, and erasing the smell of champagne along with it. The hot water brought a rosy flush to her face as she stood in he shower, allowing the hot water to ease her tense muscles. Suddenly jerked from her thoughts, a hiss heralding the opening of the automatic door, she quickly crossed her arms over her chest.

"It's Lelouch; I brought you a change of clothes."

Her cheeks turning a brighter shade of red, she closed her eyes, bracing herself. _I'm going to wrench it out of him if I have to. I have to find out if he was that voice at Shinjuku... Kagome suggested that I keep an eye on him... If it is him, Lelouch sure does a good job maintaining his apathetic schoolboy mask..._

"Sorry about all this. I know they can be a little over the top..." Lelouch brought Kallen out of her thoughts. _Holy crap! There's no way that she's a sickly girl, that body betrays her secret... _Realizing that he was staring at the silhouette of her figure through the shower drapes, Lelouch physically shook his head to help clear his jumbled thoughts. A slight blush crept up his face in embarrassment, but he'd be damned if he let anyone believe that it wasn't due to the warm caress of the steam in the bathroom.

Clearing her throat in the slight pause that had developed, the clicking of Lelouch's shoes resumed, as she narrowed her eyes in anticipation. She wanted to get this over with as soon as possible... _It would be really weird if-_ Steadying herself, she attempted to maintain a level voice, seeking an opportunity to draw him in.

"These are some of my clothes, hope that's ok." Lelouch had stopped walking, and judging by the clarity of his voice, he was in close proximity. A muffled thud signalled that he had dropped his clothes into the nearby hamper, and he turned on his heels to leave.

"Wait!" Kallen swivelled around behind the curtain to face the man other side of the thin curtain. "Can you hand me that pouch over there?" Sticking her left hand out of the curtain. Kallen tensed in the shower, as the clack of Lelouch's shoes increased in volume, and with a slight rustle, a pale hand reached into the shower, delicately holding the pink pouch with a concealed blade.

Kallen immediately smacked the pouch out of his hand and latched on to his wrist with an unrelenting grip. A small gasp escaped Lelouch's mouth at the sudden and forceful movement from Kallen. With a small smirk, she continued her aggressive gesture with a verbal attack: "Were you the one in Shinjuku?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb. You brought up Shinjuku the other day. Why?"

"Why do you ask? Is there something wrong with Shinjuku?"

"Don't answer my question with a question! Yes, or no? That's all I want to hear out of you." Kallen concluded, malice dripping from her threat, as she slowly crouched down to pick up her pouch and flicked out her blade.

A defeated sigh escaped Lelouch, and if Kallen could see through the curtain, she was sure that an exasperated expression would have adorned his face. Trust Lelouch to always keep a straight face on, even thought he could very much lose his hand right now...

"Fine..."

"I'm sorry; what?"

A quizzical expression lingered, before being replaced with anger once again. "What do you mean, 'fine'?"

"I'll... I'll explain..." Lelouch drawled reluctantly. Exhaling forcefully, he continued, "I'll explain everything to you, once you've, you know..." Averting his gaze once again, he waited for Kallen to get the hint, and stood silently, taking interest in the exquisite tiles on the floor.

A creak in the facet followed a loosened grip on his wrist, and Lelouch quickly snatched back his wrist, rubbing it. _God, she's a live wire..._ After a moment of ruffling, Kallen emerged from the shower abruptly, wrapped in a fluffy white towel, and he stumbled back in a hurry, almost knocking over the hamper he had laid his clothes in earlier. A devilish glint flashed in Kallen's eyes before disappearing altogether, leaving Lelouch befuddled, now leaning against the sink, facing her.

_He may be a brilliant strategist and tactician, but he's incredibly dense... And I'll use it to my advantage..._

After a moment of uncomfortable silence on Lelouch's end, Kallen cleared her throat for the second time, addressing him directly, "spit it out. Now."

"I... I live a life of lies... The lie of living... My name too, is a lie. I'm sick to death of a world that can't be changed... I refused to give up in despair even in this spider web of lies..."

Shock, pride and inspiration flared up in Kallen, as she tried to keep her emotions at bay, her breath caught in her throat, waiting eagerly for him to continue.

"I hate Britannia. The oppression of the powerful against the weak is atrocious, and I will not stand for it any longer... I must change this world and create a peaceful world for... for..." Tremors of rage started to shake his slender frame, as he curled his fists. Lelouch turned to bore straight through Kallen's eyes, but his unseeing eyes were far from where his body was, as he was lost in his memories. "They... They killed my mother... And my father did nothing about it... They crippled and blinded my sister, and cast my half-sisters away for defending us, and even sent an army to assassinate all of us..."

Compelled by his honesty, Kallen unconsciously placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and with a shudder, his eyes cleared, and he blushed at the contact.

"I..." Lelouch paused, gathering his thoughts and mustering his courage, hoping that it would be a correct choice to trust her with this secret, "I am Lelouch vi Britannia, the exiled eleventh prince of the Holy Britannian Empire. I was seventeenth heir to the throne before... Before my father... He..."

Kallen whispered, "before he threw you away like rag doll?" A sour look had painted her face. Lelouch's confessions lured some of the suppressed memories of her parents from the abyss of her mind, and she forcefully shoved them to the back to their confinement.

A morose nod melted Kallen's barriers, and she gave his shoulder a squeeze, before involuntarily pulling him into an embrace. _Poor guy..._

"That's why... At Shinjuku- This... This social Darwinism must stop... I will not allow this system to discredit my sister, Nunnally vi Britannia by default; it's not fair! And both Euphemia and Cornelia li Britannia should have their say and views and not be punished for it simply because it does not fit the Empire's moronic ideologies... That's not how the world is supposed to work! I will change this world, and I'll be damned if I can't change it. I will die trying!"

Kallen was surprised that she was greeted with a shaky smile and quivering lip after his risky confession. Lelouch rarely ever lost his emotions, and the fact that he trusted her enough to tell her this made Kallen oddly... Proud...? No... Happy...? "Well if it helps you, when I lost my brother it was hard on me too... My brother was the only real family I had left. My father ran off with another woman, and my mother... She's so pathetic and weak, I... I don't think I can even call her my mother anymore... I just want her to go away... I don't know why she even stays in his house anymore, doesn't she understand that he's not coming back for her?"

Shaking at the memory, it was Lelouch's turn to put a gentle hand on her shoulder, and he smiled half-heartedly. "At least... Your mother is still alive, and wants to be near you..."

_God... Maybe he's right... But I guess now's not really the time to think about this... I'll have to talk to... Mother... About this._

A thanks brought her out of her reverie and she looked up at Lelouch, genuinely smiling. _Well, well, well. What do you know? The lazy ass school boy has a soft side._ She smirked to herself.

Misinterpreted, Lelouch's eyes widened in what Kallen could discern was fear. Thus far, he had been disciplined, having eyes only for her face, albeit, he didn't always look her straight in the eyes, but now, they strayed down her lithe and supple body, and fearing judgement, he averted his gaze with a muttered apology.

Deciding to tease him for all the trouble that he caused, Kallen raised an eyebrow, but her expression softened, and her empathetic tone was replaced by a flirtatious murmur. "Is that all you have to say...?" Inching closer to him, she leaned into the sink, quickly closing the short distance between them, and placed a hand on either side of Lelouch effectively barricading any possible escape routes. The expression that Lelouch offered was priceless. _Man! I would do this everyday if I could get this level of unease from him all the time; he's just squirming in his discomfort! I love it!_

Needless to say, Lelouch was mortified. But he couldn't help but feel somewhat... Content...? In the back of his mind. It felt right, somehow... He was frozen in place by the captivating azure eyes of his tormentor, and stood rooted to the spot, pressed up against the sink. A cold sweat broke out on his back, as his breath hitched in his throat. _Look somewhere else... Anywhere else but her... Her face... Anywhere but her lips..._

An odd sensation crept up her spine and she too could began to feel the blood rush to her head from their proximity. _He's actually a really sweet guy... Granted he hides it from everyone, but there's a gentleman underneath this mask that he wears... I wonder how many other people he fools? He sure fooled me into believing him to be an apathetic and indifferent fool, never applying himself to anything... But in Shinjuku...! I can still feel the power behind his commands. He knew what he was doing, and was confident. _She loved that about him. He inspired her to act..._ It felt right following his orders. Maybe, if he can conquer Britannia... Japan will be liberated! I'll have a reason to fight! Naoto's dream can finally come true! _A shiver ran down her spine, and still completely engulfed by her raging emotions, her eyes clouded over, she caught herself too late.

Head tilting up and slightly angled to the side, her lips brushed up against Lelouch's in a soft kiss, that rendered him inanimate with shock, from Kallen's sudden advance. For a terribly awkward moment, Kallen realized that she was just embarrassing herself as her logical brain took over. Realizing that she pressed, flush against his body, with only her towel, and his school uniform separating their bare skin, an uncomfortable heat crept up her neck and into her face. To her relief, Lelouch started to kiss back, saving her the shame, and all too soon, the two broke off.

"I'm s-so sorry." Kallen stuttered, extricating herself from Lelouch, and fixed her unblinking gaze on his shoe. "I don't know what came over me..."

"It's ok..." Lelouch mumbled, glancing down at her, before he smirked. "It was good at least."

Eliciting a momentary glare from Kallen, Lelouch chuckled, and waved her off. When a hiss from the door heralded the entrance of another person.

"Kallen, Milly is getting worried-" Pausing at the sight in front of her, Kagome feigned shock and embarrassment, stammering, "I'm s-sorry, I'll just tell Milly you'll be back..."

"Kagome! It's not what it looks like, I swear!" Kallen and Lelouch frantically replied at the same time. Glancing at each other, Lelouch turned away, facing the door, hiding his blush. Kallen turned on her heels. She headed back to change in the shower, hiding a persistent pink tinge to her cheeks, before stepping out in Lelouch's casual clothing. Unfortunately, although the shirt and pants were slightly long on her, since she was shorter in height, Lelouch's slender frame caused certain parts of his boy clothes to cling greedily to her generous curves.

"Let's get back out there before Milly thinks we've done something really indecent..." Lelouch chuckled self-consciously, and the three departed.

* * *

"The council doesn't require much actual work, I guess. Beyond occasional paperwork we'll sometimes plan school events." Lelouch explained, walking side by side with Kallen and Kagome on either side of him, as the trio slowly headed back to the ballroom where Milly and the others were undoubtedly waiting for their return.

"So you mean like the cultural festival?" Kagome inquired half-heartedly, her mind elsewhere as she mulled over her thoughts. Indeed, she had overhead Lelouch and Kallen's... Uh... Confrontation, per say... And she thought she did a damn good job in hiding it for now... _Royalty, huh? Lelouch... You are a crafty one..._

"Yep, like that. Along with the Cross-Dressing Festival, the Absolute Silence Party, Going to Class in your Swimsuit Day, among many others." Lelouch groaned inwardly at the collection of embarrassing moments he had unfortunately accumulated throughout the years.

"What's up with that...?"

"Blame our president! You'll be spending a lot of time with her. Hope you ladies are ready!"

Rivalz, Shirley, Nina and Milly looked expectantly at Lelouch, Kallen and Kagome, while Nunnally simply tilted her head in the direction of her brother's voice, as the new arrivals strode into the room again. Besides the TV playing faintly in the background, the group of council members were relatively silent.

"How kind of you to grace us with your presence! We are much obliged!" Milly's sarcastic tone rang through the ballroom, accompanied with a dramatic sweep of her hand, and a chuckle from Rivalz at Lelouch and Kallen's expense.

Eyes widening at the new-found double meaning, Kallen couldn't help but suspect that Milly was also aware of Lelouch's royal blood. _I'll have to ask him about that later..._

"Of course, your Highness..." Lelouch smirked, playing along with Milly's mockery.

"I'm glad I had Kagome go fetch you guys... You're just in time, Lelouch. Kallen. I have something planned to help us raise some money for the Student Council." I playful gleam settled in her eyes. A worried expression from Milly's earlier statement caused Lelouch to flinch, but he quickly resumed his patented bored expression, mentally preparing himself, and listened intently, wordlessly signalling for Milly to continue her explanation. "For our upcoming event, I've planned for a singing competition. It should prove amusing..."

"Singing...?" Nina tore her gaze from the ground to stare horrified at Milly's suggestion.

"But I'm not-" Shirley began, before Rivalz cut in.

"That's ok guys! It'll be fun! We can embarrass ourselves a little for the sake of raising money! It'll be fun! There'll be a prize for the winner too, right? But it'll be a secret, of course."

"That's right." Milly purred. "And the teams shall be... Hmmm... Nina, Rivalz, Shirley and myself, along with Kallen, Kagome and Lelouch."

"I suppose there's no way out of this, Milly? I don't even get to pick my group members either?" Lelouch sighed, peeved the lack of control he had over these "events" that Milly would sometimes spontaneously make up...

"My dear vice president, you should know better than anyone, the answer to that question." An ominous Cheshire cat grin permanently plastered to her face. "And Lelouch, I know your sister manages the Student Council 'club,' so to speak, but your are not allowed to talk your way out of it with her either, understood?"

A grumbled complaint was all Milly needed for her to launch into an explanation. "So, this game is called a riff-off."

"Riff-off, huh?" A collective murmur rippled through the small gathering, a confused look on their faces.

"Yes, and the rules are simple, a category or genre of music will be randomly selected, and you must choose a song to sing in your group, that fits the given prompt. Both teams must come up with as many songs as they can, before the next category is selected. To win, you must be the last of the groups, which in our case, the last group between the two of us, to still be singing without interruption. The other team must integrate their song, with the exact word that the opposing team is currently singing, to transition to their song, otherwise, they default, and lose that category. Obviously, singing skills will be taken into account as well, if there is a tie."

"Geez, Madam President, I think you lost me." Shirley whined, looking around the group of council members for affirmation.

At a loss of words, the council members shook their heads, reflecting over their impending doom, selected by none other than their own Student Council President. She just loved teasing everyone!

"Great!" Milly exclaimed to the solemn group of teens, "so I presume you know what to do then? Practice?"

"Wait... What's the prize?" Lelouch, the first to break the silence, earned some curious looks, but he paid no attention. _Maybe if it's worth it, I'll actually try... Mother used to sing with me, besides, it's not uncommon for royalty to be taught such things as singing and formal ballroom dancing..._

A mischievous smirk played on her lips, as she responded, "You wait and see, Lelouch. But trust me, it'll be worthwhile..." A wink from Milly sent Lelouch into a panic, dismay showing through his mask, wondering what mysterious 'prize' she had in store for them.

They were interrupted when a powerful, anguished voice interrupted their meeting. A man with spiky turquoise hair, burning aureate eyes, and flowing cape was scowling at the hidden camera, broadcasting his passionate speech. An impressive line of troops stood at attention behind him, donned in the characteristic Purist Faction uniform, a pale sky blue, with a red arm band and tie, complete with a belt and grey knee high boots. The blue flag of Britannia was draped to the wall, hanging above the man's head, from where he stood behind a wooden podium, with the symbol of Britannia engraved in ornate gold, and outlined in murky blue. A woman of obvious importance stood in stark contrast with the regular troops behind her, as she sported a purple shirt with a belt, and a short grey skirt, along with a grey boots that went past her knees, even a third of the way up her toned thighs. The impressive display was topped off with a long flashy cape.

It would seem that they had already missed some of what he had said earlier, as the council members stood alert, listening attentively to his continued rant.

"Prince Clovis has been taken from us! He fought for peace and justice against all of the Elevens. He died a martyr!"

Everyone in the room audibly gasped in surprise at the news of a dead royal, except for two. Kagome studied Lelouch's face intently, observing his amethyst eyes narrow in concentration at the television. Before a hint of a smug grin tugged on his lips. _Suspicious..._

_Jeremiah! It's you! _Lelouch's eyebrows contracted, as he cast a nervous glance around the room, failing to notice Kagome's intuitive stare. _I must tell Cornelia at once! He can help... Yes, if I can get him to discover my-_

But his train was of thoughts were brought skidding to a halt, when the worried voice of a news reporter seized his attention.

"... According to this report, the suspect is an Honorary Britannian."

A truly unnerving sight greeted Lelouch as he gawked at the television screen. _It's not possible! It-It can't be!_

Throngs of enraged Britannians occupied the streets, barricaded by uniformed policemen, as a man in a white prisoner suit was prodded along by two Britannian military soldiers aiming their guns straight for his heart. Leather belts bound his arms as the shocked youth was roughly shoved along the procession parading through the reckless Britannian crowds. Chestnut hair a wild mess, emerald eyes frantically scanned the crowds, futilely disagreeing with the accusation of his supposed 'crime,' only earning him a hard slap across the cheek to silence him.

_Suzaku! You're alive! _Joy, anger, confusion and concern warred beneath his tense exterior mask. _Did... Did I cause this...? No... Those damn Purists! It was me who killed him, not you! I must... I must get you back safely!_

_What an intriguing young man... I must admit, he does do a good job of hiding his emotions, but no matter. I can sense them, and read his soul, barred to me like an open book. _A flicker of melancholy flashed in Kagome's eyes, as she grimaced internally. _He seems to have noble intentions... But his means of achieving his goals are... Twisted... But he has suffered so much already... I wonder how much more he can handle before he really snaps, and completely loses his grip on sanity..._

"Private Suzaku Kururugi. A former Eleven and Honorary Britannian. I repeat, Suzaku Kururugi, arrested for murder."


	5. Chapter 5

~~~AshfordAcademy~~~

Glancing around the archery field to inspect for unsuspecting, after school interlopers, Kagome took up her roan red longbow by the white handle, and drew an arrow from her quiver, nocking the arrow. Drawing back the string, she aimed for the distant target, not bothering to utilize a spell, simply letting the arrow fly, true to the mark. With simple concentration, Kagome had already shot several arrows that impaled the centre of the target. Lowering the Sacred Longbow of Mount Azusa, Kagome sighed.

_Inuyasha... Sango... Miroku... Shippo... I don't understand... Inuyasha would definitely have crossed to my time if it was possible, and I doubt he can't find me once he's over... He can easily pick up my scent. I should try to get back to the well somehow... Perhaps it only just let me cross over?_ Kagome shivered from the possibility that she was somehow trapped in futuristic Japan... _No... It's not even called Japan anymore... _Scorching anger boiled her blood. _I must avenge my parents... I cannot allow the people I love be robbed from me without retribution again. I just hope Inuyasha is not terrorizing Kaede's village in his blind rage right now..._

Slightly trembling from caged emotions, Kagome nocked another arrow, and drew a deep stabilizing breath, before letting another arrow fly. This arrow pierced through the middle of another arrow in the dead-centre of the circular target, splitting the previous arrow.

A faint surge of that repulsive power caused Kagome to pause, glaring off into the trees on the side of the archery field at Ashford. Sensing the presence of Lelouch, she simply stood patiently, awaiting for him to reveal himself. _I need to find out more about that strange power he has... I have spent many a day training, refining and increasing my power, but it still unknown to me how to handle this..._

"You know, for someone who's a royal rebel, I'd expect more guts coming from you. I'm just a girl you know." Smirking to herself, the raven-haired boy finally stumbled out from the shadow of the trees and stared at her, traversing the distance between them.

"How... Did you know I was there? How do you know about my past?" Worry marred his handsome face as he attempted to interrogate the new classmate, demanding an explanation.

"It's easy, really. Wouldn't you agree, Princess Cornelia?" Kagome whirled around to face the purple-haired woman that stood a couple of feet behind her.

"You... You can see me?" Cornelia released her Geass, disconcerted that her power had no affect on the girl.

The royal siblings ogled at the archery target, skewered through the centre by several arrows, none straying from the bulls eye, before returning their wary gaze to the girl in front of them, unsure of what to make of the situation.

"Oh dear, am I that fascinating that you're both inarticulate?" Kagome looked from brother to sister, before she continued, "I'm merely a school girl who favours archery as a hobby... There's nothing to be-"

"Hobby? Are you crazy?" Cornelia, the first to react, growled unintelligently, "who the hell is this good at archery? I don't believe it! Who are you?"

"Hasn't Lelouch told you? I'm his new classmate. I'm the cousin of Kallen Stadtfeld, who's also Lelouch's peer."

"O-okay, but how can you explain knowing my name without every having met me before and seeing me when no one else can?"

"My, what strange power is this? Concealment from the naked eye? What are you two talking about?" Kagome concocted, turning her attention back to Lelouch. "You seem to be more artistic with your words from what I hear in class, what's this 'power' that you guys are talking about?" To be honest, Kagome was indeed somewhat curious as to how their powers worked and where they originated from, even though she already knew what the power could do. _I've never really seen anything of the like... I wonder... If it's like what the moth demon, Menomaru did to me...? _Kagome internally shuddered the thought.

_She's playing mind games with us! _Seething beneath his mask, Lelouch refused to be defeated by someone that he had only met for such a short period of time. _This Kagome girl is... Confident... I can tell by the way she carries herself, that she's... Powerful? Royalty? But she also has a soft twinkle in her eye, she's definitely a nice person at heart... Her statuesque body definitely suggests that she has Britannian blood in her... So she wasn't lying before that she's a half-blood, which she shouldn't have been able to do anyway, since she was commanded to answer under my Geass... But still... She may prove useful to me later on... I'm sure many a man would fall for her looks alone..._

A small smirk graced his lips, and he was slightly unnerved when it was mirrored on her as well, but he quickly dismissed it. _I'll be honest with her to gain her trust... Somewhat, at least, since I'm sure she can tell when I'm lying, even though I won't tell her everything..._

"Come, let us retire to my room. We can discuss these matters in privacy. Shall we?"

A graceful sweep of his right hand signalled for them to follow him. Kagome closed her eyes in concentration, and when all the arrows reappeared in her hand, she replaced them in her quiver. Lelouch inched closer to his sister, a silent conversation ensuing in their minds. Although the prince could not read his sister's thoughts, the strange connection of his Geass with hers allowed him an intimate connection with her emotions. He could feel that she was somewhat confused as to why Lelouch would bring a potentially dangerous girl to his room, and one with strange powers they had never seen before at that, but he gave a reassuring nod. Without another word, they started off towards his personal room on-campus.

* * *

"I'm much intrigued by your archery skills, Kagome. I marvel at your unparalleled skill."

"Thank you." Kagome gushed. Of course, Lelouch would have no way of finding out what she was really capable of with a bow and arrow, along with her extensive miko powers, unless she chose to tell him, but deciding it would be better another time, her eyes settled on a painting across the room.

Lelouch's bedroom was spacious. Paintings adorned the majestic walls, white and gold trimmings spiralled around the walls in intricate patterns, and a crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. A massive turquoise rug protected the wooden tiles of the floor underneath. Massive French windows allowed the illuminating rays of the sun to leak through and cast shadows across the room.

"I picked up archery at a young age." There was some truth to that... She was a young teen when she started to fend for her dear life with a bow and arrow, using the same weapon of choice she did in the past life, as Inuyasha had told her when they first met. "I use the Sacred Longbow of Mount Azusa... A... Friend of mine passed it on to me when she... Died..." There was also some truth this as well... She had had to pass the guardian's test to obtain this longbow, and tried to save Kikyo's life with it... And although it helped to weaken Naraku, Kikyo had eventually succumbed to her previous injuries. Although it Kagome didn't technically inherit it, as implied...

"I'm sorry... About your friend..." Cornelia gently placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder, as she shuddered from the painful memory.

"No, I shouldn't bring it up. It's a thing of the past. I should know better right?" A shaky chuckle escaped Kagome before she caught sight of Lelouch's grimace.

"I... Understand how that feels, to be honest..." A genuinely sympathetic look took over Lelouch's previous facade.

"I use Hamaya for archery, they are made from the branches of a special tree... It's a Japanese word for Arrows of Exorcism, or Sacred Arrows."

"Geez, you're an exorcist?" Lelouch chuckled, attempting to lighten the mood. _I need to get her comfortable... Or she won't spill her guts... Exorcism... Huh... Exorcise what? Or who?_

"In a sense." Kagome grinned. _Boy, I'm not as easy to trick as you think... I can purify hoards of demon with a single arrow..._

"What do you mean 'in a sense'?" Cornelia inquired, settling on the arm rest of the armoire that Kagome was currently occupying.

"My grandfather owned a shrine, and I would help out with cleaning and such. He used to perform all his silly prayers, with fake sutras and other shenanigans." Kagome giggled at the memory. "He would unquestionably believe that he was capable of warding off demons and evil spirits. So silly of him isn't it? Of course, I would act my part as a miko to entertain and satiate him. A miko means priestess, in Japanese."

"Interesting..." Lelouch stated half-heartedly, his mind racing. _I can't... I can't tell if she's lying. She's either telling me half of the truth or she is a splendid liar... Damn! I'm the one who's supposed to be the best at this!_

Cornelia adjusted her position, observing Lelouch's infinitesimal fidgeting. _Something is worrying Lelouch... This girl... Kagome, I think? She's hiding something... But as far as I can tell, she isn't lying... I'm not the best at detecting this, but my years around Lelouch have rubbed off on me..._

"Say, how'd you end up in Ashford?" Cornelia questioned pseudo-innocently, analyzing her reaction.

"Like I said before, I'm Kallen's cousin. I came back home to Japan, but my memory... I've lost my whole memory." Frowning in mock frustration, Kagome progressed, "the hospital I was in during my apparent visit to Europe, told me that my parents had been in a car wreck, but I suspect that they were... They were assassinated. I-I'm afraid it's b-because I'm a half-Britannian..." Her lip quivered at this point, gazing up at Lelouch through her lashes, blinking back phony tears.

_Well that sounds about right... I'm not surprised at all, by why would Britannians what to kill her parents...?_

"I'm sorry for pressing, but who are your parents? I don't understand why the Britannian government would what to kill your parents...?" Lelouch knew full well that the Britannian government could kill remorselessly, but still... No matter how nonsensical or pointless the reason was to him, there always was one...

"My, my father... He's a member of the European Union government, and he met my mother who was vacationing there..." Sobs racked her body, as tears streaked down her cheeks, leaving trails on her hidden face, as she her hands covered it.

_That makes sense... Britannia has been at war with the E.U. for ages... However, I've got this gnawing feeling... But then again, now's probably not the best time to fish out more information, and besides, I need to figure out my plan to rescue Suzaku... Suzaku... _A pang of fear gripped him, momentarily paralyzing Lelouch, but he quickly schooled his composure. _If my suspicions are correct though... She's definitely a cunning one... I could definitely use some of that to my advantage._

"So, Kagome... I've talked to Kallen about, you know... Your relationship with her..." _Maybe if I go in some round-about way to lure the information out of her... Make her think that I already know something, and force her to confirm it..._

Eyes widening marginally before maintaining a neutral expression, Kagome removed her hands and proceeded to bore straight through Lelouch's own piercing violet eyes. _The tricky little thing... _Kagome grinned internally. _He's a smart one, I must admit... I suppose it doesn't hurt... I never told Kallen much of my past either, thank Kami._

"You got me." Kagome sighed in defeat, hoping her act would work. "How much do you know about ancient Japanese culture and mythology?"

"My best friend is Japanese, so yes, I've read into it... Why?"

"Have you heard of the Shikon no Tama? It goes by various names, like the Jewel of Four Souls, the Sacred Jewel, or simply, the Shikon Jewel."

"It rings a bell..."

"I have." Cornelia replied steadily, earning a confused glance from Lelouch. "I've touched on it in my history class. I think legend says that it's extremely powerful, and only special people can handle it, or something like that?"

"There is truth to that, Cornelia." Kagome flashed a hearty grin before carrying on her explanation, "The Shikon Jewel is a remarkably powerful jewel that grants whoever possesses it with immense power. The Four Souls that make up this jewel are: Aramitama, Nigimitama, Kushimitama and Sakimitama. In English, they mean courage, friendship, wisdom and love, respectively. When a person contains these four spirits at their maximum, they unite to form a strong and paramount balance within the soul, which can be used for either good or evil. The jewel is influenced by the desires of the possessor, so it was normal for a priest, priestess or monk of exceedingly strong and powerful spiritual powers to guard it from those maliciously seeking its terrifying destructive power for selfish gain..."

At this point, Lelouch was utterly silent, absorbing as much information he could out of her explanation. _Did she have access to this jewel thing? It could help take over Britannia perhaps!_

Cornelia slowly nodded, urging Kagome to continue.

"A notable priestess in particular, who went by the name of Midoriko, 'gave birth' to the Shikon Jewel, so to speak... Her powers were beyond comparison of any one person, and it was said that she was so powerful, that she could purify and obliterate ten yokai at once. And yokai meaning demon. The demons ravaging the earth sought the power of the Shikon Jewel to attain unlimited power. In the great battle, the final opponent that claimed her life was made by the joining of a multitude of demons, and after seven days and seven nights of constant fighting, she realized that her attempts to definitively defeat the demon were futile. So when the demon had impaled shoulder on a fang thinking that it had won, she seized the soul of the yokai, and bound it within her own with the last ounce of energy she had, killing them both. The crystallization of the priestess' and the demon's soul formed the Shikon Jewel, and thus their souls were bound inside the jewel, destined to fight each other eternally. The state of this internal battle is influenced by the person who possesses the jewel. Since that fateful day, the jewel was controlled by many a human, priestess, priest, monk and yokai for many centuries, until it was shattered."

Cornelia noticed that Kagome seemed to cringe as she said that, and wondered what that meant, but she maintained her unerring attention to Kagome's story.

"A final quest to regain all the shards of the Shikon Jewel to complete it once again was wrought with many unfortunate events along the way. In the race to complete the jewel, a final battle ensued, between the manipulative half demon, or hanyou, and the chosen miko at the time."

"And she defeated him, right?" Cornelia supplied before she gasped in realization. _I know this part of the story! Funny... Wasn't that priestess' name Kagome? But her last name was... Higurashi... Wasn't it? So it can't be... Unless- Maybe, just maybe, this'll lure it out... _"She was said to be a miko above all others, pure at heart, unwavering in her valiant quest to complete the Jewel and keep it pure. Her powers were said to eventually become supreme to that of the priestess who created the jewel, and in a final battle of the souls, she triumphed, and thus erased it from existence. She was proclaimed the most beautiful and powerful heroine to ever grace the world. Her name was also Kagome, am I right?"

Kagome's face was flushed. _Kami, this is embarrassing..._ "That's correct. She did eventually defeat the demon. But, it was with the help of her friends y-you know... She didn't do it all by herself..." _I had so much help along the way... Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, everyone! I don't think it would've been possible at all if I didn't have help... After all, wasn't it Kaede who had said it? That she would have to work together with Inuyasha? Of course, she gained skilled companions along the way, like Sango the yokai taijiya? Sango... _Kagome mentally whimpered. Sango was like a sister to her after spending so much time together... _I miss her dearly..._

"-ome?!"

"Mmm...?"

"Earth to Kagome! You're staring off into space!"

"Oh, s-sorry. I was just caught up in the story myself." Kagome grinned sheepishly. "I'm surprised you know so much, Cornelia."

"I should say that about you." Lelouch advanced. His trademark smirk plastered to his face.

"W-What do you m-mean?"

"It was said that the heroine priestess was a master archer, who could easily shoot targets from almost anymore, with an uncanny power to strike the target from distances that even the human eye could have trouble seeing at the distance. Isn't that right, Kagome Higurashi?" _It's a wild stab, but if it works..._

Lelouch had risen from the chair at his desk and prowled over to where Kagome and Cornelia now sat, towering over her. Realizing what Lelouch was doing, Cornelia followed his lead, sliding off the side of the chair to bare down on the suspect. He had put heavy emphasis on her last name, sure of her identity now.

An imperceptible flicker of panic crossed her expression. _I never really thought I would say this, but I wish I could be more emotionless like Sesshoumaru... Not cold and menacing like him, but at the very least, an unbreakable veil of indifference..._ _Well, he's not a callous killing machine... Okay, well sometimes, he's not, but still... No... I can still salvage this..._

"You have it wrong!" Kagome countered. "Kagome Higurashi is an ancestor of mine! As I have told you, my name is Kagome Kanejo. If I was Kagome Higurashi... I would have to be over five hundred years old! Geez guys, I'm not that old am I?"

_I hope they take the joke... I don't want to reveal to them who I really am. Not yet, at least... Maybe if I can get Inuyasha back here with me..._

The royal siblings tensed. Two pairs of amethyst orbs scrutinized her visage, accessing her statement before a chortle escaped them.

"Geez, Kagome! So old!" Lelouch jovially wrinkled his nose, making a face at Kagome. "Alright... I think you deserve to hear what I have to say. I have a proposition..."

Lelouch commenced a detailed confession of all that had happened to him in the past, including the true identity of all his siblings attending Ashford, their banishment from the Homeland, the attempted assassination, up until the battle at Shinjuku.

Relaxing back into the armoire, Cornelia occasionally butted in to add details that Lelouch left out, but was mostly content to sit and listen to her half-brother, while she reminisced of the past. She was brought out of her reverie, holding her breath as Lelouch posed his momentous proposition.

"Will you help us in this cause?"

Fingers intertwined in her lap, strained seconds trickled by before Kagome answered. "On two conditions."

Cornelia made to protest but was silenced with a wave of Lelouch's hand. A terse nod signalled for Kagome to proceed with her requirements.

"First, I want the liberty to return home if I so choose. That is to say, I wish to be able to visit my shrine as often as I deem necessary, and without question or company, unless I deem that it is necessary. The second is that I prefer not to use one of those... Erm... Metallic machine things... What do you people call them?"

"Knightmares?" Cornelia smirked. "Why not?"

"Yes, knightmares. I prefer to use something else." To emphasize her point, she picked up the bow and quiver of arrows to eye level before placing them back down to their original spot at her feet. "I would be much obliged if you could create a mechanized bow with my own selection of 'trick arrows' per say."

_Elementary creations, surely. A bow and quiver of special arrows. I'm glad that this is all it took... _Lelouch's mind already ran through several designs and useful arrows to have, as he refocused on the conversation.

"Consider it done." Lelouch straightened his stance, extending his arm to offer a hand to Kagome, who took it an shook firmly with a nod.

"Deal."

~~~Jeremiah's office~~~

"You prefer the civil sector, I take it? No matter. I have another favour to ask of you. Tomorrow night, Suzaku Kururugi will be transferred to his court martial." A man with sea green hair was seated in a stately purple chair with white accents, with his clasped hands hovering beneath his scheming face. Glass windows with gold outlines and emerald green curtains provided an impressive background to his request.

"We should line the roads with good, patriotic Britannians." The Britannian, sandy-haired television producer responded expressionlessly.

"Excellent. You catch on quickly, don't you, Diethard? Be sure the crowds can see his face." Pleased, the man who occupied the chair turned to face the woman to the left of him.

"Lord Jeremiah, there are those among the Elevens who see Private Suzaku Kururugi as a hero. Some might very well make an attempt to free him." The woman advised.

"I'll be there personally aboard my Sutherland. If anyone even thinks of causing trouble, they'll be executed on the spot." Jeremiah spluttered.

"Very well. I shall take my leave then, your Excellency."

"Yes, thank you Diethard." Jeremiah replied tersely. After a sweeping bow from the producer, he slipped out of the room, wordlessly closing the door behind him.

Relaxing into his chair and letting out a breath he was unaware of holding, he swivelled in his chair to face the woman again.

"Villetta... You shall be in your Sutherland as well-"

The shrill ringtone of the phone on his desk forced him to stop. Irked, he roughly picked up the phone and put it to his ear.

"Yes, what is it now? I told you I had a-"

"You have a visitors, Lord Jeremiah." A Geassed receptionist informed Jeremiah monotonously. "They say it's urgent."

"Who is he?"

"They insist that they're members of the royal family, my Lord."

After a slight pause, Jeremiah decided to give the man a chance. _Perhaps they're truly royalty? No matter, Villetta and myself can slay them on the spot if they try anything foolish... _"Very well. Bring him up."

"Are you sure about this, Lord Jeremiah? What if they're terrorists? What if it's that Kururugi boy?" Villetta, clearly troubled by her superior's decision was bent on changing his mind.

"Relax. We can kill them on the spot."

After a moment of silence, there was a hard rap on the door.

"You may enter."

Two figures strode into the office, dressed in an elegant but practical costume. The one on the right wore a tight dark purple suit with golden stripes and long, wrapped sleeves. A black and gold cloak with crimson spandex inside and an enormous black cape encircling the head was worn over the suit. The strange person had donned, a spiked black and indigo mask in an elliptical shape along with a white cravat. The one on the left wore nearly the exact same costume, except that the inside suit was a sombre navy blue, the inside of the cape being beige and the cape and mask were white.

"Who the hell are you two?!" Gripping his chair, Jeremiah was enthralled. _The audacity of them! _He had to admit, it was an impressive display, and just the way the two stood before him, proud and aloof, made him perspire, as if he had been caught stealing.

Stiffening, Villetta's right hand inched its way to her hidden pistol still in the holster around her waist.

"There will be no need for that." The man on the right stepped forward, inclining his head towards Villetta. "We are only here to talk... I... Am Zero. And my accomplice, is Infinity." A warped metallic voice produced by the helmet addressed them, which radiated an unearthly feel.

Without the slightest hint of fear in the voice, the one predominately in black resumed: "Margrave Jeremiah, you asked to be transferred to Area 11 to redeem yourself, did you not? After your failure at the Aries Villa?"

"H-how d-did you-? I-" Incoherent phrases suddenly seemed to be the only words that Jeremiah was currently capable of expressing, and so the fear-instilling person continued.

"You were stationed to guard the Palace, so tell me, why didn't you prevent the assassination?" Jeremiah was on the verge of hysterical tears, and still, the unknown man refused to back down, his mechanic voice growing in volume with suppressed rage, his words a vicious onslaught.

"Y-you! You were supposed to protect her! It was your first task!"

Villetta stood rigidly still, confused, angry and surprised, all at once. _Who the hell were these people to accuse Lord Jeremiah? Who the hell was killed? I've never seen him so distressed!_

"Th-that's right... I've allowed members of the royal family to be killed..."

"Huh...? What do you mean, Lord Jeremiah?"

"It has already been eight years. That was the first mission I had as a soldier. I was assigned as a guard at the Aries Imperial Villa."

The onyx tormentor twitched at the statement, but allowed them the short interaction, observing the situation panning out before him. _I hope this works... Cornelia has told me of his loyalty... I am only betting on the woman to remain loyal to her superior for the sake of title, or else, I really do need Cornelia to convince her..._

"Aries Imperial Villa... Eight years ago... If I remember correctly, Queen Marianne was..."

"That's right. Because of the orders from above, a minimal number of guards was placed on duty. As a result, we weren't able to prevent rebels from penetrating our defences... It was the first setback I faced... I was a man who'd never known failure since I was a child. I was then posted to Area 11... The place where Queen Marianne's orphans, Prince Lelouch and Princess Nunnally, as well as Princess Cornelia, Euphemia and Nunnally lost their lives... And now... Even Prince Clovis..." Choking on his words, sobs wracked his body, as bitter tears trickled down his face at the painful memories.

"Lord Jeremiah..." A sympathetic grimace took residence on Villetta's face.

"His Highness Clovis... Queen Marianne... Prince Lelouch, Princess Cornelia, Euphemia and Nunnally... Please laugh at the useless me!"

"I am appreciative of your words and they give me comfort, for your loyalty is steadfast. Rest assured, you are still much needed by us." Jeremiah and Villetta ogled at the masked man, confused, as he brought a hand up to his mask. Distinctive clicking noises could be heard before the mask fell onto his gloved hand. And after pulling down the cloth half-mask he wore, trademark violet eyes watched the eruption take place.

The chair toppled over in Jeremiah's exuberant outburst, as he scurried over to where Lelouch and the still masked figure stood in place, prostrating on the ground.

"Please, I must ask... Why do you turn against your Homeland? Becoming an enemy of the Emperor as a result? I presume it was you, at Shinjuku? Only you can display such tactical ingenuity, my prince!"

Confirming Jeremiah's suspicions, Lelouch announced majestically, "I did it because I am Lelouch vi Britannia! My father, the Britannian Emperor, allowed my mother to be killed. And in so doing, he stole Nunnally's sight, her legs and our futures from us. He cast Cornelia and Euphemia aside in his ignorance for supporting our unjust exile..."

"I know... My first assignment... To guard her... Lady Marianne... Whom I loved, and respected... But I failed to carry through with that loyalty... I just wasn't able to protect her...!"

"So you founded the Purebloods, then?"

"Indeed. Master Lelouch, everything it is clear now... You will be Zero and Infinity for the sake of Empress Marianne, isn't that so?" Quivering in excitement, Jeremiah chanced a look up at the young Prince, hoping for his qualms to be confirmed.

"Yes, but why are you-"

"I serve no one... I only follow one... And it's Lady Marianne... Please, forgive my worthlessness!" Jeremiah slapped himself, a resounding crack echoing within the walls, causing a sharp intake of breath from Villetta. His attempts of further self harm were blocked, however, when Lelouch hurried over to Jeremiah, holding his arms in place.

"Lord Jeremiah!"

"My prince! I am unworthy!" Struggling to release himself from Lelouch's grasp, Villetta rushed over to Jeremiah, grabbing his shoulders.

"Lord Jeremiah, what are you doing?" An incredulous look on her face, she stared at the seemingly converted Jeremiah.

Ignoring Villetta, Lelouch simply continued his advance, sensing his 'check' approaching: "Jeremiah Gottwald, listen. Your steadfast loyalty is still desperately needed here; isn't that right?"

Face twisting into a delirious grin, Jeremiah naturally replied, "Indeed. Yes, Your Majesty. I shall serve you till my last breath to redeem myself."

"W-wait, Lord Jeremiah... What on earth is going on...?"

"Don't you see, Villetta?" Rising from his submissive posture, he straightened himself, brushing off invisible dust on his suit, spinning to face the woman. "The Purebloods! Their purpose was to keep the Britannian population from being sullied by the Elevens. It was to prevent the same incident with the deaths of the royal family from happening again, if-"

"A-are you sure...? It seems, odd that- Wait, that means they're still ali-"

"Perhaps, I can help you there." The other figure who had been nearly silent throughout the entire encounter, made the same motion as Lelouch, raising a left hand to the mask. The metallic clicks presaged the exposure of the masked face. Silky mauve-coloured curls fell into place framing the woman's face. She had flawless alabaster-white skin, and stood in a dignified and regal manner.

"My princess!" Jeremiah hastily kneeled, and bowed incredibly low.

"P-princess Cornelia!"

An aggressive smirk adorned her face, curling her lips up like a lion.

"Yes, my trusted servant. We are back to change everything."


	6. Chapter 6

~~~The Shrine~~~

_What did he say he was doing? Recruiting? Yes, recruiting... What an amicable way to put it, with the way he operates... It's a perverse persuasion of the victim's will. His uncanny ability to manipulate puts even Naraku to shame, from the looks of it... And all done simply with his imposing demeanour and finesse with words. With the addition of his power... I fear that if he lacks discipline, the world will be lost to his whims..._

Flaring out her aura in search of trespassers, Kagome walked up to the Goshinboku, or The Sacred Tree, and gently caressed the thick, gnarled trunk, tracing patterns on the bark, lost in her thoughts. _There must be a reliable way for me to cross back and forth between the past and the present... _Turning around to face the low table placed in front of the tree, she walked over to the bowl of water at the end of the table. It was nearly completely desiccated, but by the looks of it, someone had at least been here recently, to visit the mythological tree.

Waving a hand over the bowl, the surface rippled before forming a glass-like surface, reflecting the branches overhead, where the rays of the setting sun leaked through the foliage. Concentrating, Kagome focused on the people that she wanted to see, and one by one, they appeared on the surface of the water. Inuyasha was first. He was sitting high up on a branch of a tree, overlooking the well. He suddenly shifted his intense stare on the well when he felt a familiar presence, scrutinizing the area around him by sniffing and pulling back his ears. A frown appeared on his face as he was unable to detect the source of the presence, and settled for continuing to glare at the well.

_Inuyasha! Anata... I miss you..._

A pang of longing momentarily overwhelmed Kagome, but she refocused on the next image to appear: Sango. Sitting under the shade of the Goshinboku, she was wearing her usual marbled pink kimono and forest green skirt, complete with arm and leg guards and straw sandals. She had her hair tied back with a white ribbon, and her chocolate coloured eyes sparkled, as she tended to her three children, as Shippo entertained them. _Sango! _Kagome missed Sango dearly, for they had formed such an intimate bond through their travels, and as such, Sango was a sister to her. They had spent many a night, whether around the camp fire or in a hot spring, whispering of secrets, concerns or problems, and they always confided in each other. _Sango-chan, the twins and her son! Oh, they're so adorable!_

The twins took to their mother's natural beauty, with deep chestnut coloured hair and equally dark eyes. Their son was almost a splitting image of when Miroku was a child, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. _The twins are about ten now? So that would mean that their son's about eight. Oh, I'm missing them grow up! _With a small pout, Kagome continued to watch their interactions, mesmerized.

Miroku appeared from the edge of the forest, leaning his staff against the tree, and settling down next to Sango, picking up his son and placing him in his lap. Miroku was in his usual attire, his purple robes and straw sandals. _Ah, Miroku-sama! _And although she didn't always agree with his lecherous ways, he was very much like a brother to her, sometimes giving her advice. _They aren't always related to spiritual power, but still... I guess I might have use for it some day..._

Shippo was as lively as ever, occasionally using his fox magic to animate toys, much to the twins delight.

_At least for now... They are safe..._

The scene changed to a flowered meadow where a teenaged girl frolicked through the swaying flowers. Rin wore a pink kimono with magenta coloured lines and gold dots, which was tied together with a purple obi. Observing the girl from afar, Sesshoumaru wore his usual aloofness and indifference clearly evident on his pale face, but his eyes twinkled, affection shown only in his golden eyes. He too was in his typical clothes. A spiked pauldron covered his left shoulder, attached to the upper section of his cuirass. His flowing navy blue and golden sash was tied to his waist, over the white kimono with red accents and cherry blossom crests. His white hakama bulged near his calves, but were gathered at his ankle, giving way to flat, pointed, ankle-high boots. His voluminous mokomoko was draped over his right shoulder.

Kagome suppressed a giggle. _It's so fluffy that it looks so out of place on someone like Sesshoumaru-sama... It's like a huge tail... A huge fluffy tail... Although he'd kill me without a second thought if he knew that's what I think about it though..._

The last image to appear was Kaede and Jinenji, picking herbs together in the fields.

Kagome grinned, and sighed in relief, waving her hand over the bowl of water again to change the image to Lelouch. There seemed to be a man with turquoise coloured hair, and appeared to be conversing with Lelouch and Cornelia, although the latter was still masked.

_I wonder if Jeremiah is as blindly loyal as Lelouch and Cornelia make of him to be?_

Turning on the spot, Kagome walked towards the well house. The setting sun on the distant horizon cast long shadows across the ground. After arriving at the well, both hands gripped the edge of the well, her knuckles turning white with strain.

"Inuyasha..."

Peering anxiously down the well, nothing seemed to happen. Minutes passed in utter silence as the last rays of the setting sun dropped below the horizon, dipping the sky into inky blackness. _I might as well try something... Or my trip here would've been rather pointless... _An idea surfaced, and swiftly nocking an arrow, Kagome aimed straight down to the bottom of the well. Allowing her power to seep through the bow and arrow, Kagome closed her eyes in concentration, focusing on the Sengoku Era, and the people that awaited her should her plan work, and let the arrow fly.

Immediately engulfed in a mesmerizing lavender light, the arrow punctured a deep hole into the compacted soil before a violent explosion of blinding light illuminated the dark well house.

_I hope this does the trick... _And without climbing up to the lip of the well, Kagome jumped in, shutting her eyes in anticipation.

Cleary ecstatic that her feet didn't hit the solid ground inside the well house, a familiar clawed hand was outstretched and waiting to be held on to, and without hesitation, she grabbed the hand and felt herself being pulled into an embrace.

"Inuyasha! H-Honto ni gomen nasai..." She mumbled, choking on her words in utter relief. All her fear and stress poured forth in the form of tears as a million thoughts whirled in her head.

"Kagome..." He patted her on the head in an attempt to comfort her. Unsure of how to verbally assuage her evident distress, he simply rest his chin on her head, drawing her against his muscled chest, allowing her to cry into his robe.

It was a relief to have her back, to say the least. He inhaled her intoxicating scent, taking note of her soft rosy smell, but he also smelled foreign... Things... And foreign people... The smell was strange, and he couldn't quite place what the smell was... _It must be something that I've never encountered before... _That was when he picked up a powerful whiff of something unpleasant on her. _This strange power... Its aura... I haven't felt such a strong aura since... Since Naraku. _He bared a fang, curling back his lips in a silent snarl at the terrible memories of Naraku, and the misery that he perpetrated. _But this ambience feels different, it's not as sinister, somehow... It feels like raw power, but such is easily tainted... _Wincing at the memory of the tainted Shikon Jewel, he noticed that Kagome was sobering up, and held her at arms length to get a clear look at he face.

She had schooled her emotions and returned her cheerful mask already, finally looking deep into the molten, gold orbs scrutinizing her face. She was temporarily lost in his eyes before she came to her senses, pulling him back into a hearty embrace.

"I'm so glad... That I got to see you again. I was so worried, Inuyasha."

"... What happened...? What happened to you, Kagome?"

"Well..." Kagome didn't really feel like telling him just yet... Her parents had been murdered, there was a strange new power that had emerged in her time, a strange boy was trying to over throw and reform the ruling government, and as she guessed, things would probably only go down hill. _I've done my fair share of crying already... And I'm going to tell Sango anyways, so there's point telling the same story to a different person each time. Speaking of which..._ "Inuyasha, where's...?"

"Kagome!" An over-joyed brunette bounded across the meadow and tackled Kagome with a rough bear hug. As her husband strolled in behind her, with the children in tow. "I was so worried! I thought- I thought we-"

"H-Honto ni g-gomen nasai, Sango!" Kagome stuttered again, hugging back with equal ferocity, tears leaking out again.

"Let's get you back to Kaede's hut and we can eat, clean up and talk about what's happened. Ok...?"

Kagome nodded slowly, as the group made their way back to a familiar safe haven.

* * *

Supper  
was delicious, but Kagome spent most of her time talking rather than eating, although she was content to just be able to talk about everything that had happened while she was absent. Now, she was soaking in the nearby hot spring with Sango.

"So Kagome, will you be going back?" Sango questioned. Spending time with Kagome in the hot springs was a real luxury. They always talked about their true feelings, secrets, and other things on their mind. Even about things that their husbands did that irritated them. It was like a special bonding time, and in truth, they were effectively sisters, protecting, comforting and depending on each other.

"Yes, I have to. But I... I want you guys to go with me."

Inclining her head back to rest on the rock, Sango stared thoughtfully at the full moon, and averted her gaze back to Kagome.

"I will go with you, but what about the children? From what I've heard, I'm definitely not permitting them to come. It's too dangerous."

"I understand completely. Do you think Kaede would be alright with taking care of them for a couple days at a time? I mean, I want you to be able to come back as you please. I'll have to open the well for you guys, so as long as I can still do that..."

"Kagome, you make it sound so terribly depressing. I just hope that it won't be worse than... Back when we... You know... The Jewel and such..."

Kagome crossed her arms under her chest in the water, intently studying her friend's face. _Those days... When we fought Naraku..._ A shiver shot up her spin, despite the warm water, as the horrible memories resurfaced. Even now, it was hard to openly talk about since Naraku had caused so many painful experiences to the whole group.

"Japan is now at the mercy of tyranny, and the weak are oppressed simply because they were not born with the benefits of wealth or status. The nobility are blindly loyal to the totalitarian rule of the Emperor, and extremely power hungry. However, they are selfish and fickle. They do what's best for them, and betray their morals. The government is unbelievably corrupt. They kill anyone in their way, and they rule with their personal interests in mind, ignoring and even encouraging the damnation of all the Japanese. It's not fair for us to simply be considered slaves to their ideologies because we aren't born into their social system! We can't even move up their stupid social system because they would find a way to condemn us."

Sango stared at Kagome during her rant, and her palpable anger. Her face was contorted to that of rage, which Sango had only seen on various occasions, and almost all these instances were due to Naraku's doings.

"I will support you, Kagome. You're family to me. I can see you're distressed over the matter, and I want to help. Will you be asking Inuyasha to come? And Miroku?"

Kagome took to fiddling with her damp hair and twirling it with a finger, at the mention of their male counterparts.

"I... I don't know... I want Inuyasha by my side because when it comes to it, we fight well and are more effective together... But there's his attitude issues, and his abysmal temper... We may have to suck up to some people, be willing to take a hit on our pride for the sake of achieving a greater goal and be very patient. Inuyasha is too brash and impulsive. The blood gets to his head, and he's a goner. He'll rush into any battle without a second thought... I don't know if I want that... It may very well prove to be our undoing. The weapons are nothing that you guys have ever seen, and only I know of how they work. Some are still new to me, even. I can educate you guys about them, but Inuyasha would never listen to me ramble on about these 'petty' things." Kagome shifted her position against the rocks, and frowned at the rippling surface of the water, before averting her gaze to Sango, who maintained a fairly neutral expression. "Plus, I recall that Tetsusiaga loses its power in the future. Last time he tried to use Adamant Barrage, he nearly took down a flying plane." Kagome added as an afterthought a crude chuckle escaping her.

"A plane?" An inquisitive look adorned Sango's face as she parroted the strange new word.

"Yes; a plane is a form of transportation through the air for us. It's similar to flying on Kirara, except that we're in a comfortable seat, in a sheltered environment. It was dangerous because it filled with innocent, unknowing passengers. It would've been a disaster if he hit the plane..."

"I see..." Pausing momentarily, Sango contemplated the issue, and added, "I think Miroku should stay then. He can keep Inuyasha in check here, as I'm sure he'll try to get to your time, and may end up destroying the whole village in the process. He could also help Kaede look after the kids too."

"Are you sure, Sango? I don't want separate you two!"

"It'll be fine. Like you said, I can visit him regularly, right? Besides, I bet there's 'beautiful' women in your time, Kagome. He's bound to get distracted. And the way you've talked about them, I wouldn't put it past our enemy to use women to seduce him in order to get to us."

"O-okay. I guess we should go tell them our decision..."

Sango exhaled forcefully. "Inuyasha is going to be far from pleased, you know. He'll try to come with you."

Kagome grinned, a playful glint in her eyes. "Yeah, but I can make him obey me."

* * *

~~~Tokyo Settlement~~~

Two masked and dressed up figures stood atop ruins in an abandoned building as the creeping darkness of the night enveloped the surroundings in a chilling embrace. The building seemed to be a destroyed gym with a stage. The black and white figures faced the worn out brunette at the bottom of the stairs in silence, each party carefully observing the other.

"It looks like they treated you rather roughly." The white masked figure stated. The grated metallic voice easily carried through the short distance between them. Truth be told, a shiver ran up his spine, as he watched his expressionless, masked saviours.

"Now you know what they're really like, Private Kururugi. Britannia is rotten. If you wish to bring change to the world, then join us!" The figure in black removed his hand from beneath the folds of his thick cloak in a dramatic gesture.

Ignoring the bold declaration, the prisoner mustered his courage and boldly challenged his unknown liberators, "So is it true? Are you really the one who killed Prince Clovis?"

"This is war. Why wouldn't I kill an enemy commander?" The man in black responded immediately.

"And the gas? Those were civilians out there!"

"A bluff! To help things along." The one in white started.

"The result? Not a single death." The one in black finished with a flourish of his hand.

With a scowl, chestnut-haired man retorted, "The result? That's all that matters to you two, I suppose."

"Come join us." The white masked figure extended a gloved hand in his direction in invitation.

"The Britannia you serve is a worthless dominion. Join us, and fight for what is just." The figure in black curled one of his hands into a fist, and seemed to tremor. If there was no mask, Lelouch's anger would surely have been convincing enough. _Should I show him our faces...?_

"Maybe that's true, but... But this nation! It can be changed for the better! And from within!"

"Changed? How absurd!"

"And any ends gained through contemptible means aren't worth anything."

"Hold it!" The one in white called after him, and he stopped in his tracks. Turning to face them square on, but before the condemned brunette could respond, the one in black spoke first:

"Suzaku, don't you understand? It's no use to try and change the Britannian government from within. The cancerous tumour is spreading from the root. You cannot simply prune the tree when it is corrupted from the very core. Its entire existence is merely a festering disease that needs to be completely removed. This cancerous tumour must be obliterated and reformed. And with you... Together, we can do anything."

Suzaku hesitated at the last statement, squinting at the one in black, who seemed to be the one in command. "You... An old friend of mine used to tell me that. You remind me of him."

At this, both masked figures stiffened, and glanced at each other. Lelouch closed his eyes in concentrated and reached into the back of his mind, he felt that Cornelia was rather nervous and reluctant in revealing their identities so soon. Facing Suzaku again, Lelouch stared long and hard at his 'old friend'. _How well do I really know him? Is it too soon to let him know that it's us? Will it help convince him? Maybe..._

"And I think he's right, Suzaku. Wouldn't you agree? The very Emperor of the government that you are trying to change, assassinated his own children. He exiled them simply for refusing to comply to his stupid ideas and so he sent four of his children away here, and he ordered their deaths. You think that such a callous killing machine will be swayed so easily? You will have no say even if you work your way up the social system, especially since you are a half-Britannian, and not a full blooded noble Britannian. You have the dirty blood of a Japanese in their eyes. Then what? You would've wasted away your years to no avail. He would never listen to you. He has slaughtered everyone, Britannian nobility even, that has defied him. Even if it is a trifle detail, and even if it's an entire nation. He controls more than a third of the world's resources. The only way to remove this system would be to defeat him, and ultimately kill him. That is the only way. So what difference does it make if you must kill him in the end anyway? You must still commit this act either way."

Suzaku paused, he was stunned. This man beneath the mask, he assumed, spoke with such inspiration! But what struck a chord was that he seemed to know the Emperor and his antics well, and very much sounded like his old friend... _Is that you...? Can it be? Maybe if I take a wild stab at it and surprise him... Or maybe..._

The seconds stretched on as both parties stared at the other, unwilling to be the first to give way under the weight of the words, still hanging in the air.

"Who...?" Suzaku whispered, barely audible even at their proximity.

Lelouch glanced at Cornelia and wordlessly, Cornelia reached up to her mask. After the mask fell to her gloved hand, a loud gasp emanated from Suzaku.

"C-C-Cornelia! I-Is it really you? A-Are you alright? W-What happened at-?" Suzaku was having difficulty wrapping his head around the situation, as immediately, a deluge of questions swarmed his mind, jumbling his thoughts. _What the hell should I ask first? _There were so many things for them to talk about and no privacy to talk about it! _Cornelia...? Is this man's partner in crime? No... Cornelia would never let anyone order her around unless..._

"Lelouch? Is that you?" Directing his question at the other figure, who still maintained his mask. However, he received no response. This irritated Suzaku greatly as he wanted to know if Lelouch was alright after all. And why Lelouch saved him. _But I guess, if Cornelia's alright... No... I have to find out. I have to make sure that he's really okay, and what he's up to._

"Please, Lelouch... Let me see... Your face again."

_What should I do...? _Lelouch was sweating in his costume, debating whether it would be the correct choice to reveal his identity. _Would it be safe? What if we're being followed? Watches? _A multitude of possible outcomes swirled around his mind, haunting him. _I... I want to... That look on his face... I can only hope..._

"On one condition. First, will you join me, Suzaku Kururugi? Will you lend us your help in annihilating the evil of the world? The tyranny of the government? Will you find it in you to answer to the anguished cry for revenge from your Japanese blood and all of the defeated and tattered remnants of Japan? Will you avenge your people and re-instate justice? Will you promise this? To do everything in your power to help?"

Suzaku froze at the ultimatum. _C-Can I? Can I kill someone if I need to? If I really have to? But it's against my morals to kill at all... And on the other hand, it is true, as seen by the Purist Faction, that they clearly want to rid the community of half-Britannians, simply because they are half Japanese... Will it really be, that in the end, I will end up doing what Lelouch has planned anyway? Maybe for now, at least... Killing can't be the only way of doing it... So for now..._

"Fine. I promise to help you in your endeavours. Only, if I have your word that everything you two do is for the good of this oppressed country, and for the justice that you speak of. Nothing more, and nothing less."

In wordless acceptance, Lelouch in turn removed his mask, allowing it to fall into his gloved hand.

"I knew it was you..." Suzaku whispered, advancing on his long lost friends. Speeding up into a run, he attack the royal siblings, strangling them in a crushing hug. "Where have you been? What's happened to you two? You-"

"Not here, Suzaku." After extricating herself, Cornelia returned with a twinkle in her eye, covering her face once more with the mask. Her voice returned to a cold metallic tone. "We might be seen here."

Taking up on the cue, Lelouch also quickly hid his face again, "Come Suzaku. We can discuss this at our residence at a later time. What is important is that you are safe. We will keep in touch. Why don't you attend school with me and my siblings at Ashford? That way, we can be in close contact, and it won't be suspicious."

"They're alive?" Excitement bubbled to the surface, over-riding his sense of caution momentarily, as he raised his voice.

"Yes. Euphemia and Nunnally are living with us." Under the mask, Lelouch smirked, as he witnessed Suzaku's face beaming when he mentioned his younger half-sister was living with them. _He's always taken a liking to Euphy..._

Schooling his facial expression back to neutrality, he nodded in affirmation, and whirled around, heading home for the evening.

Not long after, Lelouch and Cornelia, after they were sure that they were not being trailed, promptly made their way back to AshfordAcademy.

* * *

~~~AshfordAcademy~~~

Euphemia and Nunnally had been glued to the hand held electronic device for hours already. Who were Zero and Infinity? Sure, they were relieved that Suzaku was alive-after all, he would never kill anyone, but these strange masked figures had caused a huge uproar.

"Oh Euphy, I was so scared!"

"It's okay now, Nunnally. What's important is that Suzaku's safe, right? Say... When did Cornelia and Lelouch say they'd be coming back? They're awfully late..."

"Big sister said she had a meeting and Lelouch said he had something to do. Maybe he's taking a run?"

"I don't think so. He may have just suddenly started exercising, but I doubt he's that persistent."

The two shared a laugh before there was a knock on the front door.

"It's probably them, I'll go get the door, Nunnally."

"Okay." Nunnally flashed a brilliant smile in Euphy's general direction and returned her focus to the hand-held device that was still rambling about the shock of two mysterious figures suddenly appearing to rescue Suzaku. Nunnally had a strange feeling that he knew who those two were, but she would have to wait for her suspicions to be confirmed.

Euphy shuffled to the front door and unlocked it. Two beautiful girls, one with wavy black hair and one with a long flowing mane of brown hair greeted her. The raven-haired girl had sharp azure eyes that seemed to pierce through her soul with the intensity of her stare. She was admittedly a voluptuous girl with a killer body, and she had an arrow with a quiver of arrows slung across her shoulder. What seemed to be her friend, also had a curvaceous figure, with hardened brown eyes and pink eye shadow on. What was even stranger was that this girl had a huge boomerang slung over her shoulder... Both were wearing jeans and a tank top, exposing their slender but toned frame.

A shiver ran down her spine under the fixated scrutiny of the cerulean-eyed girl. _Who on earth were these people and what on earth are they carrying those things for...? I've never seen them before..._

"Hey, are you Lelouch and Cornelia's sister? Are they home yet? We wanted to talk to him." The onyx-haired girl broke the awkward silence first.

_Okay... Well I guess they know Lelouch and Cornelia, so they can't be all that dangerous... Maybe they're new in town?_

"Sorry, they're not home yet. Lelouch and Cornelia said that they had to stay late at school today, but why don't you ladies come in and have a seat first? They should be home soon anyway." Flashing her signature demure, beaming smile, Euphemia fully opened the door, gesturing for them to enter, and led them to the dining table that Nunnally was still sitting at.

"Nunnally, we have visitors. They're friends of Lelouch and Nunnally. Can you please keep them company while I go make some tea for our guests?"

"Yes, big sister." Nunnally cracked a grin in the direction of the girls, and waved for them to sit down across from her.

_Wow. They're friendly. Lelouch never told me about his sisters, but their souls are pure from what I can tell, and I doubt they know how to hide it from me. _Glancing at the girl in the wheel chair, Kagome frowned.

"Nunnally, is it? Nunnally vi Britannia? And your sister is Euphemia li Britannia?"

Nunnally gasped at the statement and her voice became unnaturally high pitched. "Y-You know who we are? D-Did someone tell you that?"

"No worries, Nunnally. We'll keep it a secret. Your brother told us the whole story. I'm sorry for your situation. It's quite unfortunate."

"Lelouch did?" Euphemia parroted, re-entering the room after setting a pot of water to boil. _Strange... He never reveals this secret to just anyone... Who are these people?_ "I'm sorry, I don't think I got your names. What's your name?"

"I'm Kagome. Kagome Kanejo. And this is my best friend Sango Kotegawa." Extending her hand out in invitation, Euphy and Nunnally gave both a firm hand shake.

"Pleased to meet you, Kagome and Sango." The royal siblings chorused.

"The pleasure is ours." Kagome responded smoothly.

"So... How'd you ladies come to know Lelouch? Lelouch has never told anyone who our true identities are before... The only other people who know of this secret is the Ashford family, and that's only because they support Lelouch's mother, Marianne."

"Oh, I'm a new class mate of Lelouch's. I'm cousins with one of his existing classmates, and I'm living with her, so I decided to enrol in school here so that I at least knew somebody. Sango's just visiting me."

"I see."

"Can I feel your hands? I want to be able to recognize my brother's friends." Nunnally chirped.

_She doesn't talk much, does she...? Is she hiding something...? _Kagome gave a wary glance at the girl, hesitating.

"As you can see, and as you already know, my half-sister Nunnally is crippled and blind. She can distinguish people simply by a touch of their hand, and can even sense their emotions. I hope you don't mind."

Warning bells went off in her head. _She can sense that? Interesting... Perhaps she has hypersensitive senses to make up for her lack of sight... Still... I must be careful..._

Kagome slowly slid her arm across the table. Nunnally's touch was a gentle and warm, but Kagome could sense a sudden flare of her aura the moment they made contact, which although was considerably weaker than her own, could possibly still discover their secret. Alarmed, Kagome hastily erected a mental block to prevent Nunnally from reading too far into her mind. _Sneaky little..._

Nunnally grinned, unable to detect the obstruction, only sensing what was left open and unprotected in Kagome's mind, and turned to face Sango. Kagome immediately flared her aura to protect Sango's mind with the same result. Sango averted her gaze with a quizzical expression, wondering why she felt Kagome's aura flare, to which, Kagome shook her head almost imperceptibly, indicating that it was not to be discussed.

"Thank you. You seem like nice people."

The shrill call of the tea pot drew Euphy back to the kitchen, who slackened her shoulders. _At least Nunnally feels that they can be trusted. Now if Lelouch and Cornelia would just come home..._

Bringing the freshly made tea back to the dining room table, the four settled down in the brightly lit room, engaging in friendly small talk when Kagome suddenly stopped mid-sentence, and both Nunnally and Kagome averted their gaze to the door, sensing the presence of another visitor. A sharp rap on the door seconds later confirmed this, and Euphemia stood up again.

"Perhaps this is Lelouch and Cornelia?" She offered. _But they don't knock... They have the key... Who on earth could this be now at this hour?_

Opening the door just a crack, another girl stood expressionlessly at the door with a strange white prisoner outfit, adorned with countless leather buckles that were currently undone. Euphy had never seen such an outfit before. The usual prisoner outfit was never this... Elaborate... Silky tresses of lime green hair fell to her waist, as cold molten gold eyes stared daggers through her. _What is up with these people? It's like they're all gazing into my soul! Well she's certainly another beautiful girl, but this girl seems more threatening... Perhaps this is just the prisoner suit... _Making note of this, Euphy reminded herself to ask this strange girl about it later.

"Uhm, w-who are you?"

"I am an accomplice of Lelouch and Cornelia."

"... Accomplice?"

"Yes. They have both made a promise to me that they need to keep."

"Promise...?" _What the heck? I've never met you before either! What on earth is going on? What promise?! _Euphy was slightly irritated by the sudden influx of random girls that she had never met before, and responded rather harshly: "What's your name?"

"C.C."

"C.C.? Does that stand for anything?"

"It's just C.C."

Seeing as this would go nowhere, Euphy sighed, and fully opened the door yet again that night and invited her in to have a seat. _What a strange name... Only initials I'm sure, but she seems reluctant to tell me what her actual name is..._

With lithe, cat-like grace, C.C. sauntered into the room, and was led into the dining room where the rest of the guests were already sitting. Upon laying eyes on Kagome and Sango, all three froze, staring at each other.

"C.C.?!" Kagome and Sango chorused in unison. Both were ogling the interloper incredulously.

"You know her?!" Euphy looked from Kagome and Sango to C.C. and back again in confusion.

Nunnally had furrowed her brows in concentration, unable to identify the newcomer, and simply kept to herself.

"Kagome. Sango." C.C. responded tersely, with a short nod. "It's been a while my friends."


	7. Chapter 7

They couldn't believe their eyes. _C.C.!_ In the present time, they had never met of course, but during their travels in the Sengoku period after defeating Naraku, they had crossed paths on various occasions. _So she must be the one that gave Lelouch and Cornelia their powers... I should've known... Baka._

"What brings you here, C.C.?" Kagome inquired, after recovering from her initial shock of seeing the aforementioned girl.

"Maybe I should be asking you that?"

_Oh, C.C.! Her antics drive me up the wall, and I see she still hasn't changed! But then again, that is less than surprising. After living for centuries, understandably, your habits are rather hard to change. But seriously... You'd think we know each other well enough for her to drop the act?_

With a mental grumble, Kagome refocused on Euphy and Nunnally, but telepathically, she started a conversation with C.C. _Please, don't tell them anything. No one knows of my our time-travelling._

With an almost imperceptible dip of the head, C.C. averted her gaze to the royal siblings.

"Like I said. Lelouch and Cornelia know me. And we're friends." C.C. motioned to Kagome, watching nervously for their reactions, and Sango, who had been practically silent the whole time.

Warily, Euphemia nodded, and gestured for C.C. to take a seat, and so the green-haired woman took up residence to the left of Kagome.

The five engaged in awkward small talk for a while. Eventually, they warmed up to each other, and by the end of the hour, they were genuinely, heartily laughing and joking around. Even the hiss of the front door went unnoticed in the clamour of the dining room.

"We're back."

Two exhausted teenagers trudged into the room. Raven-coloured hair askew, and lavender locks plastered to her face, Lelouch and Cornelia stopped in their tracks in shock at he sight before them.

"Welcome home, Lelouch and Cornelia." The ladies chorused together in unison, seemingly with rehearsed coordination.

"I'm so glad; I was worried!" Nunnally greeted, completely unaware of the gawking her siblings' incredulous looks. They were gawking at everyone at the table, but at a certain emerald-haired individual in particular.

"I'm assuming you two ate out tonight, judging by your appearance?" Kagome winked. _I think tonight will be even more entertaining with your appearance, Lelouch. You get so flustered sometimes... I'm sure Cornelia will catch on eventually._

"Thank goodness! I thought you guys got caught up in all the uproar caused by Zero and Infinity!" Nunnally continued obliviously.

"I tried calling you guys but you both didn't answer your cell phones!" Euphemia frowned at Lelouch and Cornelia, gushing with concern.

"I wanted to tell you, Miss C.C., my friend and I have all been waiting for you as well." Kagome drawled lazily, awaiting for the currently inarticulate royal siblings to process what was going on.

"On of your friends goes by such an unusual name; only her initials!" Nunnally noted to Lelouch and Cornelia. "And why didn't you tell me that we had new students at Ashford? I was just wondering are they your girlfriends Lelouch? That's an awful lot of girls to be seeing all at once, big brother!"

Cornelia, as expected, was the first to regain her senses, but was still somewhat fazed by the sudden audience. "N-no, you've got it wrong, Nunnally. They're my f-friends. Yes, they're my friends. I teach at Ashford, so Milly's father introduced me to them; they just transferred to Lelouch's class recently so we haven't had the chance to tell you!" _Oh my god. A couple days in the role, and I already have to lie to Nunnally...? I don't know how long I can keep this up... Especially if I have to lie to Euphy..._

"He made a promise about our future together, right? To the three of us." C.C. had a malicious gleam in her eye, but otherwise, her betrayed no emotions, as the immortal witch dragged Sango and herself into a spiralling madness of word play.

"A future together...? You mean marriage? To all of these ladies? T-that's certainly strange Lelouch. You never hang out with girls..." Nunnally looked rather gloomy at this point, and her head drooped.

"Lelouch..." Euphemia started, watching Nunnally in her peripheral vision, "I always thought you weren't the type into starting your own harem? Although it is certainly permitted in the Empire..."

"NO! That isn't what they're talking about! It's like a..." Cornelia stammered.

"They're-they're kidding around! J-just kidding!" Lelouch finished.

"No we're not." Was the blunt response from the ladies at the table.

"I guess everyone's different..." Euphy trailed off, staring at Lelouch and Cornelia, attempting to read any emotion off the either of the royal siblings. Lelouch was somewhat shocked, and Cornelia was schooling her emotions to her trademark scowl, scanning the new-comers in the room.

"I suppose it isn't that strange... If you feel like you're ready for..." Nunnally gasped as she was abruptly cut off with the sound of shattering porcelain, as a cup fell to the ground, causing her to wince.

_That's the only way that I can talk to them in private... I have to isolate them..._ "Oh C.C., look what you've done... You're soaking wet..." Reaching out to roughly grab the C.C. by the shoulder, and yanking her out of the chair, he turned to the rest of the ladies, "Come on, let's get you to the bathroom into a dry change of clothes. The ladies can help you so that it's not too awkward." He used his other arm to grab Kagome, with another chestnut-haired girl already latched on, lugging them through the door. He nodded at Cornelia, signalling for her to follow him to his bedroom, and proceeded to head for the door. "And they were kidding before! Kidding! Just a dumb joke, that's all!"

Throwing one last word out to Nunnally over his shoulder, he rounded the corner and walked down the hall in silence, with four girls in tow.

When they made it to his spacious room, he shoved C.C. on the bed, who fell limply onto it without complaint.

"Who are you?" Scouring the room with a venomous glare, Lelouch stared down his first victim.

"She said my name. I'm C.C." The simple retort only served to irritate Lelouch. _I want a detailed, elaborate answer that will satisfy me! This doesn't cut it!_

"That's not what I meant. Why aren't you..."

"Supposed to be dead?" C.C. cut him off. _Oh, I love his angry face! It'll be tons of fun to push his buttons... Marianne... Your son is so short-tempered... _Turning on her heel, she faced the wall, showing of her slender figure as Lelouch was provided with a view of her back. "So... Do you like the powersthat I gave you?"

_I should've known it was you, C.C. I never would've thought I'd see you again, though. _Kagome grinned, and in response, C.C. smirked. Although C.C. could not communicate with her through the mind, she could hear the thoughts that Kagome sent her way, and she knew C.C. was amused. A gleam in her eye seemed to coax Kagome, as if to say, 'come join in the fun'. Contemplating, the offer Kagome shrugged.

"As I thought... It was you..." Cornelia trailed off as Lelouch followed her movements with his eyes, as she made to sit down on the bed again, lying down with her arms out. _What a strange girl... But she still hasn't answered my question! I saw her... She was..._

"Are you two dissatisfied?"

Cornelia shook her head in disagreement, opting to remain quiet. "On the contrary, we're grateful."

"It allows me to speed up our schedule tremendously. Which is a huge help."

"Schedule?" Kagome and C.C. questioned at the same time, an incredulous look flashed across their faces momentarily before disappearing behind a mask.

"We have a schedule... For obliterating Britannia." Cornelia supplied.

"We'd have had to wait much longer for the initial move without the power."

"You believe you can destroy it, simply by using that power?" C.C. retorted sceptically at the prideful boy.

"You have it wrong. We intended to do it without this power..."

"I just knew he would turn out to be a fascinating guy..." C.C. sighed, flashing a grin at Kagome and Sango before she settled further into the bed.

"I know what you plan to do, Kagome. I can only assume that that is your friend you have there. An accomplice?"

"Indeed." Kagome replied tersely, nodding in Sango's direction. "She is my most trusted accomplice and companion."

"I have your weapon created already. If you have time to take a look at it tonight, I would be more than happy to show you the workings."

With a curt nod for affirmation, Kagome allowed Lelouch to continue his advance on C.C..

"What will you do now? I'm sure the military is after you."

"Not the entire military, only a small fraction of it. So it shouldn't be difficult to find a place to find a hiding place." And with that, C.C. immediately started to strip out of her clothes, carelessly tossing her prisoner garb to the floor, as Lelouch averted his gaze. "I can make do here." Quickly slipping under sheets, and pulling the covers up to just under her nose, she maintained a neutral expression, awaiting Lelouch for his response to her sudden change in demeanour.

"What?! You expect to stay here?" Turning to refocus on C.C., who had taken up residence in his bed.

"A gentleman would sleep on the floor."

"Don't joke around!"

"My being caught would cause trouble for you too."

"It's dangerous to stay together." Placing a knee up on the bed and crouching over her in emphasis, Lelouch leaned over C.C., glowering at her.

"If I wander the streets, they'll find me..."

"This isn't about you... It's my situation." Lelouch rebutted.

Exasperated, C.C. turned away from Lelouch, facing the wall, muttering, "I hate stubbornness."

"You sure take things casually, don't you?" Lelouch sighed irritably in defeat. Glancing around the room at the audience, he sighed for the umpteenth time, and gathered C.C.'s littered clothes, and neatly stacked them by the side of his bed, taking a seat on the floor. "How did you manage to survive before this? What did you do before now? And what's the deal with that so-called contract you spoke of?"

"Good night, Lelouch." C.C. answered forcefully.

_Damn that irritating woman! I still need answers!_

_When C.C. doesn't want to talk, she'll never talk..._ "You know, Lelouch... Why don't you show me your brilliant new weapon for me?" Flashing a bewitching smile, Lelouch froze before recovering himself, and liberated a heaving sigh.

"Fine."

* * *

"Seven years since we used this signal. Long time, huh?"

"Meeting on the roof, like the old days."

"Yeah."

"I'm glad you're ok. I've been worried."

"Alive and kicking, thanks to you, Suzaku." Lelouch narrowed his eyes at his long-lost friend. You almost died, trying to protect me."

Suzaku shrugged, and waved it off. "I was just returning the favour. From seven years ago. Uh... What about the girl? You know, from the capsule?"

"She's staying with me now... We're trying to hide her here in Ashford, but she doesn't seem like the cooperative type."

"Is that so...?" Suzaku trailed off.

"But you would know more about her than I do, right?"

"No, the only ones who knew anything, were the inner circle of the royal guard."

"I see... I wonder why they're trying to hide this...? She must be important..."

"And your name... Do I still call you Lelouch?"

"The records count my old identity among the dead. I go by the name Lelouch Lamperouge now."

"Oh..." Suzaku trailed off again, his mind elsewhere.

"Why did you enrol in this school?"

"I'm surprised as you are!" Suzaku chuckled, "someone arranged for me to be in this school..."

"Who-"

But their conversation was interrupted with a school-wide assignment: "All Student Council members please report to the gymnasium now." Milly's exuberant voice rang through the campus, and Lelouch sighed. Today was the riff-off.

"I guess you have to go?" Suzaku questioned, to which Lelouch merely shook his head in response. "Why don't I go with you?"

"That would be great. Let's go; I'll show you where it is."

* * *

"And so Cornelia-sensei will be the judge, she'll be overseeing this 'game'. Understood?"

The council members mumbled in response. They had all been listening to Milly rambled on about the rules one more time, and try to motivate the tortured students.

_Here goes nothing..._

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**_Author's Note: I really want to hear from you, my readers! :) I have no idea how many of you guys like the story, and want me to continue writing this, so I would appreciate it, if you let me know with a review! If I find that there is a lack of interest in this story, I will discontinue it, and it'll be up for grabs. :) So let me know! Yay or nay? Thanks for reading! (Also, I will be waiting for at least a couple of reviews before I consider it)_**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I will be requesting at least 5 reviews until I post the next chapter! I'm starting to lose interest writing this story since I don't know what you guys all think of this story! I want to improve my writing so that it'll be more enjoyable for you guys to read, so please do take the time to read and review! :)**

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~Kallen Residence~

It had been a month since the grand debut of the Knights of Justice, and what a glorious moment it was! News of them spread worldwide quickly, since Lelouch had managed to 'hack' into their broadcasting centres. Surely, they were merely the Shinjuku Ghetto resistance group? But Lelouch would have none of it. _And to actually believe that we can defeat Britannia! Oh, Naoto... I wish you could've lived to see your dream fulfilled. I'm sure Lelouch can accomplish it! _The world saw them as an irritating pest, and labelled them as a terrorist group. However, the areas conquered and enslaved by Britannian rule believed otherwise, and small rebellions spread like an infectious, cankerous wound.

The world had witnessed many of Lelouch and Cornelia's 'miracles,' and although most of the members of the Knights of Justice were unaware of the their alternate ego as Zero and Infinity, respectively, as well as their Geass powers, the 'acts' that they pulled were convincing enough. And that was without mentioning the 'super warriors,' that they had recruited onto the team. A fearsome, armour-clad slayer and 'superhuman' archer. The Britannian news had consequentially labelled them as Musashi***** and Hachiman******, respectively, blatantly ignoring the fact that both were male nick names. They had just escaped from the "Island of the Gods," and things were fairing nicely. The battles fought were unanimously won on their end, with very few casualties. The only exception to these distinguished accomplishments was Emile rui Britannia, the new viceroy of Japan, sent to monitor and put an end to the world-wide rebellion that the iconic figures Zero and Infinity had sparked. Although Emile would be more than happy to correct her 'mental lapse' of calling Area 11 Japan with a brutal slaughtering.

Lelouch had admitted that Emile was one of least favoured half-brothers, since Emile was always one to be quickly offended, and evidently, was violent in nature. Although at the time, Kallen had questioned who else could possibly be as bad as Emile, Lelouch was reluctant to answer, mumbling about a manipulative, but unfortunately charismatic back-stabber. This had confused Kallen. _Someone just as charismatic as Lelouch? Manipulative? Perhaps a sociopath? I guess that does sound dangerous..._ But at the time, Kallen had dropped the subject, seeking to comfort him instead, seeing as Lelouch was quite torn over some memory of this 'charming back-stabber'.

So, Emile rui Britannia. What a horrendous man. If he could be called as such. In the first few weeks as the new viceroy, he had probably already killed off more than a quarter of the population of Elevens in Area 11 in cold-blood. Well, simply to prove a point. That we were mere ants beneath his rule, unworthy of being human beings. We were filthy scum in his eyes, and the Purist Faction loved him. Well, except for Jeremiah, of course. Which, she had been informed, was actually working for their cause, having 'infiltrated' their ranks as a Margrave. This was quite useful, seeming as Jeremiah could provide intel as to what they were planning.

In the battle of Narita, she found a sick satisfaction in seeing Emile's commanders impaled one by one by Kagome in the shadows, while he sat in the command centre. Her arrows simply pierced through the Knightmare's armour, and found their way directly through the heart. It was a quick and painless way to die, of which, Kallen was not particularly fond of sometimes, in light of all the brutal killings the Britannians had callously subjected her people to. What was infuriating for them was that even though the Knightmares were moving, she had no trouble picking them off. She was sniper in the shadows, foiling their plans with great success, and scattering the leaderless soldiers. Their confusion and utmost rage was a real feast for the eyes. Kallen herself found great satisfaction in boiling her enemies with the radiant wave-surger in the Guren, and in blind battle rage, she would secretly enjoy their painful deaths. But Emile would always retreat, fearing for his life when the battle was evidently in our favour. _Coward._

Sitting at her bedside table, Kallen stared at photos of her brother, reminiscing of the past, and shivering at the bloody memories of battle, when a sharp rap on the door interrupted her chain of thoughts.

"Come in!" she called.

"Hey, Kallen-chan." Kagome grinned.

"Oh, hey girl! What's up?"

"I just wanted to chat with you."

"Sure." Kallen gestured to a nearby chair, and Kagome promptly pulled the leather armchair up to her desk and sat with her legs crossed. "What's on your mind?"

Since Kagome had arrived, she had been a lot less lonely. They were getting along quite well, and one would even say that they were almost sisters. Almost. Sure, they had each other's backs when it came down to it, but Kallen had a feeling that Kagome was never really truthful about her past. She was hiding something. She was sure it was painful memories that were best left in the back of the mind, but Kallen was curious as to what made this beautiful woman, so reserved and terribly morose sometimes. And she wanted to help. The occasional melancholic expression that adorned her face spoke volumes, even when Kagome never chose to voice her thoughts. It pained her that Kagome would not trust her enough to open up about her past. Could she be hiding something else?

"How's Lelouch-kun?"

Small talk. She always started with that. And it was true, she was dating Lelouch, and though genuine interest and concern was evident on her face, Kallen was sure that that wasn't the only reason that Kagome had asked about Lelouch. Yes, they were concerned for his sanity after obtaining the Geass, but something told Kallen, that Kagome had experience with people going insane after obtaining power. This was a sad thought, and she hoped it was not somebody close to her, thus causing Kagome's deep sadness. But she still had trouble hiding the blush that bloomed on her cheeks at the mention of her boyfriend. She had trouble hiding her fiery persona. They had only started dating not too long ago, and it was still a strange idea to her. She never really thought she would be one to just 'fall in love,' let alone that 'someone' being something of a superior, or commander to her in position. _I guess you really can't anticipate these things... Love is unpredictable..._

"He's good, for lack of a better word. He's awfully tired all the time, like we all are. This double-life is starting to drain me of my energy real fast. I think we're all falling asleep in class now, like Lelouch. But Suzaku seems to be alright." She grinned at Kagome, "Thank Kami, Cornelia-sensei doesn't call us out on it all the time. It'd be pretty suspicious after all."

Kagome nodded in assent, and fingered the frills on the simple white dress she wore. Which was another thing that Kallen noticed that Kagome liked to do. She liked to wear white. There must've been some meaning behind it, for her whole wardrobe consisted predominantly or white clothing, and perhaps some red. She sometimes wore other colours; but what did it mean? _She's pure? Holy? That's usually what white implies. I definitely wouldn't be surprised. Kagome's such a kind soul. She's obviously a virgin, since she's not really interested in dating, so maybe it means she's a maiden. But Lelouch has told me that she had some sort of unknown exorcist-like power that I'm to keep an eye out for, if she ever felt like revealing it. And she's... Old fashioned? No. More like... Traditional... And according to old Japanese tales that mother used to tell me as a child, I wouldn't be surprised if she's a miko. Although of which religion, I wouldn't have a way of knowing... But besides that, it is also thought that there are no more living mikos in the present world. Like demons, they're extinct. Although I sure would like to meet a miko. They always seemed like angels to me in the stories, and I always wondered how difficult it would have been to keep such a pure heart. Which is kind of strange, come to think of it. Lelouch and Cornelia mentioned to me in private that Kagome is a descendant of the most powerful miko in recorded history. Even though her last name is Kanejo, and the last recorded priestess' surname was Higurashi. But Kagome seems to fit the definition of a miko perfectly. She's so selfless and kind, and defends the innocent with a righteous cause. She would never hurt anyone if it's not necessary to save an innocent life. She can help and mysteriously heal any injury, as long as the person isn't long dead. _Which sent a shiver up her spine when Kagome brought a person, who had died only moments before, back to life. It caused such a commotion, but she had excused it as a lack of skill on the doctor's part. Which, was possible, but unlikely... _And she has a strange air of confidence about her... _As of yet, Kagome had only show-cased her impeccable accuracy, shooting down moving targets from great distances with intimidating finesse. _Maybe, she'll open up soon. I really want to help her with her troubles._

There was another knock on the door, and a brunette poked her head through the bedroom door.

"Sorry, am I interrupting anything?"

"No, we were just talking about random stuff anyways. Make yourself comfortable." Throwing a warm smile her way, Kallen pointed to another chair in the room. Her room was well furnished, and it was a relief that someone was finally making good use of them.

"Konnichiwa, Sango-chan." Kagome flashed a smile at her best friend.

_And then there's Sango_. Kallen mused, eyeing the ridiculously fit woman who strode in with the grace of a huntress. If only she knew the true irony of the thought. _She's so much like me. A fiery girl with feisty personality. Except even my hair stands testimony to my inherent nature, unlike her chocolate-coloured hair._ Sango was also a ruthless warrior on the battlefield. At Narita, she had decapitated hordes of Knightmares by ferociously slicing through the armour with deadly precision, either forcing the user to eject or die. Her battle skills were honed to perfection, and she showed valuable experience on the field, varying her fighting pattern as she saw fight. Sango was often a deadly blur when in battle, and those who had the misfortune of being on the wrong end of her swords, never lived to tell the tale.

"So what are you girls up to?" Sango inquired, watching Kallen and Kagome intently.

"Nothing much, to be honest. I'm just trying to get my mind off of homework." Kagome grimaced.

"As per usual." Sango grinned, chuckling at the memories of Kagome scrambling to catch up with her homework, while she kept going back to the Sengoku Era to recover shards of the Shikon Jewel.

"Hey! It's just that I get bored, you know?"

Oh, Sango knew. They were actually much older than the high school age, but they easily fit in to the lower age category due to their looks, which, had attracted a lot of unwanted attention from the boys. But it was still better than acting our own age, thus making it all the more easier for them to find us... Besides, even if they were to reveal their true age and identity, people would have trouble believing them.

Kallen, unaware of the implied meaning to Kagome's boredom, retorted, "Hey, at least we all get good grades, right? And we don't really even need to try that hard for it. Though I wish Lelouch would apply himself in school like he does with his battle tactics." Kallen's afterthought unintentionally slipped out, and Kagome and Sango were quick to notice the blood rushing to her face again. "Erm, not that I really care or anything, you know?"

Kagome sighed with a permanent grin plastered on her face, and a twinkle in her eye. "There's no need for that Kallen-chan. We know you're head over heels for him." She giggled at the indignant look on Kallen's face. _She reminds me of when Sango was in denial about loving Miroku-kun. It's so painfully obvious with those two. I can read them like a book! I don't understand why they even try to hide it from me!_

Kallen huffed, crossing her arms under her chest. "Right, you all-knowing god."

Kagome stiffened a little, causing Sango to cast a worried glance at Kagome, which Kallen almost missed. _What was that?_

But her train of thoughts were interrupted when Kallen, Kagome and Sango's cell phone chimed at the same time, announcing a group text message. After a moment of silent reading Kallen sighed.

"Well, let's get to base, ladies. Lelouch needs us."

"You make it sound like all of us are in a relationship with him. Please, Kallen. Leave us innocent girls out of it." Winking at Kallen, Kagome skipped out the door with Sango in tow, dodging a playful punch from a furiously blushing Kallen, still spluttering.

~Base~

"So we will set out first thing at 3 in the morning. Understood?"

Lelouch and Cornelia had donned their iconic Zero and Infinity costumes, commanding a silent respect for them. They were truly inspirational, and sometimes, even Kallen had a hard time putting Lelouch's face to Zero. He was just so... Apathetic? Yes, he put on a completely believable mask of being an intelligent, but aloof Britannian, who could care less with the politics of the Empire. Cornelia, she could understand, but Lelouch? Sometimes it still puzzled her immensely, how Lelouch could simply switch personalities.

After a chorus of 'yes sir,' and a few grumbles, they quickly disbanded, hurrying to ready themselves for one of the biggest battles yet to come. They would be heading out to a desert in the Chinese Federation that night. But not just any desert. Underneath the desert was a cave, housing a notorious city, known only to a few. And although most of the members of the Knights of Justice were unaware exactly why they were to be eliminating this city, they were told that they were performing inhumane experiments on innocent and unwilling subjects, turning them into sinful, heartless, killing machines, and so without a second thought, since their great leaders Zero and Infinity had ordered them to do so, they obediently followed their commands. They would kill, and kill mercilessly at that, leaving not a trace behind, even if it meant they would have to sacrifice their lives. There was no doubt whatsoever that they would carry out his command.

Only Jeremiah, Kallen, Sango, Kagome, C.C., Cornelia and Lelouch were left in the room, and they glanced at each other with a grimace and knowing look. Tonight. Tonight they would rid the world of this terrible power that had corrupted so many before him, and caused unnecessary deaths. C.C. had told him that his own father seemed to have a Geass as well, and he would never forgive him for what he did to Nunnally, Euphemia and even Cornelia. Never. So tonight. They would move to attack the Geass Order, and V.V. be damned if he doesn't die. _I'm willing to die for this._ Lelouch thought, seething behind his mask.

* * *

***Miyamoto Musashi, or Musashi, as he was often simply known, became renowned through stories of his excellent swordsmanship in numerous duels, even from a very young age.**

**** In Japanese mythology, Hachiman is the Japanese syncretic god of archery of war, incorporating elements from both Shinto and Buddhism. Although often called the god of war, he is more correctly defined as the tutelary god of warriors. He is also divine protector of Japan and the Japanese people. (So, Kagome... Yeah... Her explained strange reaction to Kallen...) The name means "God of Eight Banners," referring to the eight heavenly banners that signaled the birth of the of the divine Emperor Ojin. His symbolic animal and messenger is the dove. (Hence the white clothes!) In Shinto religions, he became identified by legend as the Emperor Ojin, son of the Empress Consort Jinqu, from the 3rd to 4th century AD. (In case you don't know, Kagome is originally a Shinto miko!)**

**A/N: Anyways, tell me what you guys think! :) Until next time!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hello everybody! :) I decided that 4 reviews would be close enough for the last chapter, so I've written another one, and I've posted an extra long one, just because you had to wait! ^^ Now get on with the story!**

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The fairly modern city sat daintily underground, nestled underneath the desert in a cave. An eerie lavender glow illuminated the city, in the quiet of the morning. Ornate buildings lined the narrow winding streets and the denizens of the city scurried to and fro between buildings, busying themselves with mundane tasks. Indeed, all the inhabitants of this city were scientists, and wore simple white lab coats. Some of which were under the direct command of their director, V.V.. Unfortunately, it was only the lull before the storm.

Knightmares smashed through the cavern walls, and the roof began to crumble. Alas, this would be their final day. The Black Knights were ruthless in their conquest, shooting and destroying everyone and everything in sight. The buildings crumpled like paper to the ground, and anyone unlucky enough to be on the streets felt the fury of hot metal tear through their body. The shrapnel from the assault rifles that the Knightmares carried wreaked havoc on the city, killing many instantly.

"Britannia has been cooperating with traders in the Chinese Federation as spies. This lab is creating immortal warriors, whose purpose is to destroy us. I will not let them violate the sanctity of life! The researchers and their data are to be wiped out. We don't know where the bodies of the research are hidden, therefore encircle point Alpha-7." Lelouch ordered with a commanding voice. "Burn it to the ground! Any experimental subjects found are to be sealed inside a high pressure casing. I will investigate each one personally!"

By now, most of the city was already levelled, as C.C., Jeremiah and Cornelia were commanders without equal, and in record time, they had removed almost all the research data, and captured all of the test subjects as Zero had instructed. What took decades to gather and record was eliminated in a matter of moments. Kallen, Kagome and Sango were of their own group, working personally with Zero to hunt down V.V.. Kagome was perched on Lelouch's Shinkiro, while Sango was on the Guren. Kagome and Sango picked off enemies one-by-one from their high vantage point, while the respective knightmares danced through the city, annihilating anyone and everything that opposed them.

Zero had opened a private channel between the 'Sublime Six'. Indeed, Zero had not come up with that corny nickname, for he would have thought up something outrageously fancy and elaborate, signifying some significant meaning, symbolizing something crazy. Truly, it had been Kagome, who had, in jest, 'gave birth,' or so to speak, to this name, and it quickly caught on.

"Cornelia, report."

"I have already suppressed the northern limits of the city, and we're advancing to the centre."

"Perfect. Thank you, Cornelia. Jeremiah?"

"The south is suppressed as well, Your Majesty."

"Good work, Jeremiah."

"C.C.?"

But she never got the chance to respond. A massive new 'knightmare,' if it could be called as such, smashed through the crumbling eastern wall of the cavern, revealing a spiked, elliptical shape, orange in colour. It had five green conical structures, presumably slash harkens, with two mounted on the front. Generators were found on the back.

"The Siegfried!" C.C. exclaimed, quickly identifying the unknown object for the rest.

"Impossible!" Jeremiah declared, seeing the massive Knight Giga Fortress closing in on them.

"What the hell is that?!" Cornelia, Kagome, Sango and Kallen chorused in unison, spotting it in the distance.

"Jeremiah... Isn't that unit...?!"

"Yes, since it works on direct bio connect, the only one who can use it besides me is..."

"I thought so! I'll send you the information on it." Then, on an open channel, Lelouch addressed V.V., in his trademark calm demeanour. "You surprise me, V.V.. The observer becomes the perpetrator!"

"You know, I sort of liked you, Lelouch. Because, you reminded me of Charles. And Cornelia... You were the one of the most valuable members of the royal family. And now... You associate yourself with that mongrel and those Elevens, and dirty your bloodline. You have ravaged the name of 'li Britannia'."

"How dare you utter my name with such disdain!"

Wasting no time, the main commanders of the mission encircled the Siegfried that V.V. was currently operating, drawing it out into the open, and above ground, avoiding the battle below.

"Hold it right there, V.V.!"

"Who do you think you're talking to? You're just a worthless bunch of traitors to the royal family!"

"V.V., I swear I'll tear you out of that thing myself! All units, attack!"

"Yes, your Majesty!" they chorused.

Much to their dismay, bullets and slash harkens were unable to penetrate the superior defence that the Siegfried boasted. Spinning like a top, any attempts to attack and fatally damage the Fortress were completely futile.

"Hold it!" Kagome cried.

It was audacious for Kagome to demand a halt in attacks, but everyone else knew... That Kagome was next to second in command. Nobody really knew why, but they suspected a 'closer' bond, than either let on.

"That spinning shield is powerful..." Lelouch growled. "What is it, Kagome? Is there a way in?"

"Yes." Kagome's face distorted in concentration for a brief moment, and when she finally opened her eyes, she smirked. "Hit the generators. That's the Siegfried's only weak point. Sango and I will stall it, so attack there when it's stopped spinning."

"Do as Kagome says. Wait till the Siegfried's spinning shield has stopped, then converge all attacks on the Siegfried's generators."

"Yes, your Majesty!"

Nocking an arrow in record speed, Kagome nodded for Sango to hurl a kunai at the Siegfried. While it was airborne, Kagome allowed her spiritual power to combine with the knife, allowing it to penetrate into the cockpit, embedding deep in V.V.'s forehead.

"Why, you insolent fools! I am immortal! You can't-"

But this was already enough to distract V.V.. With this, Kagome nocked an arrow with record speed, sending a sealing arrow straight into the generator, creating an impressive explosion. Reducing the rotating speed to a grinding halt, V.V. physically growled, eyes aglow with malicious fury.

"All units, attack the generators!"

Without a seconds delay, a torrential downpour of bullets ripped through the generators, and eventually the cockpit of the Siegfried, effectively destroying the Giga Fortress. As it plummeted to the ground, the others gave chase, but since it had crashed into a building, they failed to uncover V.V.'s location underneath all the rubble.

"Jeremiah, Kallen and Sango, search for V.V. from the top-down. Kagome, C.C. and Cornelia, we'll search form the lowest floor."

"Yes sir."

"Yes, your Majesty."

Trekking through the colossal mess the Black Knights had produced, Lelouch, Kagome, C.C. and Cornelia picked through the wreckage, finding the occasional lifeless body on the ground, splattered with blood, body twisted in a pitiful manner.

"I'm picking up signs of life." Lelouch stated, unfazed by the bloody carnage around him.

His eyes fell on a strange gate illuminated with a lavender glow, and an eerie red Geass sigil with lines etched into the wall, radiating from the centre of the Geass symbol. But the entryway was slightly ajar, splitting the sigil in half, emitting an ethereal, ivory white glow. Suddenly, silver coloured tendrils emerged from the narrow opening, reaching the company of four, and the world disappeared around them, leaving nothing but a tugging sensation, before roughly landing on hard ground.

However, the scenery before them had changed. Instead of the ravaged city, they stood, floating in billowing clouds with no land or sky in sight. Sandy hues painted the sky, creating an appeasing setting. Lelouch realized that he and the others were standing at the base of what appeared to be a temple, with Roman and Celtic designs. Columns adorned the top-most level, lending an imposing view.

"How was I pulled out of the Knightmare?!" Cornelia demanded of no one in particular as she surveyed the scene before her.

"Where is this place?" Kagome mused, drinking in the outlandish new environment. But something was off. A familiar feeling of dread settled in her stomach.

"Knightmares are such inelegant things," an ominous voice thundered, "especially at the base of this system, the Sword of Akasha!" Turning around, the group of four laid eyes on someone they never thought to see. And although each acted with varying distaste towards the foreboding presence of this man, it was clearly evident that none in the company respected this at the least.

Lelouch's hands curled into a fist and he trembled in vitriolic rage. His knuckles turned stark white with the strain as a deranged hatred surfaced, allowing a choleric expression to appear. Cornelia was enraged as well, although not as visibly so. Kagome frowned and wrinkled her nose at the notoriously corrupt man before him, and C.C. merely remained offensively expressionless.

_The terrible aura this man exudes is simply nauseating... Even though he is not a demon and thus has no jyaki, he has a terrible heart._ Kagome twirled a lock of hair in her finger, contemplating the unravelling situation.

_I still can't figure out exactly what she is?! Why did Sango's kunai and Kagome's arrow glow?!_ Lelouch and Cornelia thought simultaneously. Inspecting the possibility in his head, he turned the idea on ends in his head, hypothetical schemes playing out in his head. _But the bigger issue-_

"It's you!" Lelouch and Cornelia growled venomously.

"Lelouch, my son; Cornelia, my daughter. The time has come at last! The time for final redemption!" Charles zi Britannia bellowed before smirking. "It's been a long time, Lelouch and Cornelia, my prodigal children. And C.C.! What a pleasure it is to finally meet again. But you, I do believe we've never met in this lifetime."

Lelouch chose to ignore the latter statements, as did Kagome, and went running to hide behind the Shinkiro, his eyes aflame with scorching hatred. Cornelia made to do the same, dragging Kagome and C.C. along behind her Knightmare.

"Answer my question of eight years ago! Why didn't you try and protect mother?! You knew the others were plotting against her! You know everything!"

"People are not equal." Charles calmly stated.

"What?!" The four glared incredulously at the brick floor, further infuriated by his cool tone.

"You have a unique form of the power that no one else possesses. Use it to get the answer from me."

_He's baiting me. He's trying to get me to use my Geass on him. But... If I look into his eyes, then he'll look into mine... His Geass requires eye-contact, just like mine does. So the moment I look... His Geass will take control of me... And he'll alter my memories... What do I do?!_

"Lelouch... Be warned... If you activate his Code..." C.C. whispered, as Lelouch removed the contact lens he was wearing in his left eye to reign in his Geass power.

"What's wrong...? Are you not my son? A prince of Britannia?" Charles goaded.

_I have no time to make the wrong choice!_

Raising a king piece with a button on it, Lelouch depressed the button, causing a bomb to detonate, shattering the illusion of the serene backdrop. As shards of the world descended, Lelouch perfectly aimed a Geass at a shard, angled towards his father, and with a grand gesture, he barked out: "Lelouch vi Britannia commands you... Now, die!"

After a tense moment of silence, Charles grunted. "Very well then." Grabbing another shard, he peered behind him to watch the scene play out. Removing a Britannian pistol from within the depths of his cape, Charles firmly squeezed the trigger, and bullet sounds reverberated to their ears. Dust was thrown up as Lelouch and the others watched Charles collapse, falling on his back, a deep red drenching his shirt.

In shock and disbelief, Lelouch, Cornelia, Kagome and C.C., trudged to the top of the stairs, staring down at the corpse of the Emperor.

"I won... Nunnally... Euphemia... Mother... I-I did it..."

Lelouch let rip a maniacal, blood-curdling scream, causing the others to stare, wide-eyed in shock, before he continued his aggravated rant.

"I killed him... It was so easy... I had questions for him." Now towering over his father's lifeless body, Lelouch looked down with scorn and disdain. "...That he should have had answers for. But now..."

By now, Kagome and Cornelia had gathered around Charles, and C.C. hung back at the corner of the platform. Suddenly startled, Kagome took several steps back with a horrified expression on her face. But before Lelouch could ask why, his question was answered.

"Oh...? Who?" A truly malicious grin was now plastered to Charles' face, and a groan could be heard from C.C..

Backing up as quickly as possible, Lelouch and Cornelia were at a loss for words, spluttering inarticulately, ogling their father with disbelieving stares.

"You're impudent, Lelouch!"

"You're alive?!" Cornelia yelped.

"That's impossible! That bullet went through your heart!" Lelouch yammered.

"Lies and schemes..." Charles rumbled, finally raising himself from the floor. "Deceptions! You really thought you could defeat me with those cheap tricks?!" Advancing on Cornelia and Lelouch, he continued, "You want the power of the King? Then have the courage to come at me, like a king! You want others to know your true self, yet you only show them a false face. How can anyone know you, if you don't reveal yourself? You hide behind masks. You are afraid that they'll find out who you really are."

"NO!" Lelouch stuttered, backing away from the onslaught of accusations. He shook his head, vehemently denying, and yet, his father continued.

"In the end, your lies serve no purpose. Because you are me, and I am you. All else, is illusion. Though there are worlds without end, there is but one being in the past, in the future, and now. Only one..."

"One...? What are you saying?"

"Play time is over now. There's nothing in it for me now. No value in the games anymore. You don't have to cajole him like this to get me. I already exist in this realm." C.C. sternly watched the two. _Like father, like son... _C.C. sighed.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Cornelia inquired, but no one gave an answer.

"Y-You! You and your scheming! Your conniving ways are inexplicably barbaric! You're rotten to the core!" Kagome exclaimed.

Lelouch and Cornelia stared in shock at the sudden outburst. _Now what is she talking about?! Are we the only two unaware of some grander plan?! An ulterior motive?_

"My, my... Quite out-spoken of you. How is it that you know of our plan?"

"I can read you like a book." Kagome offered tersely, her cold tone punctured Lelouch's mental image of Kagome, and of her being simply too kind-hearted for her own good.

"Kagome..." C.C. started, worried of the state Kagome was in. If she got in any further, she wouldn't hesitate to purify all of them, including C's word, even if it mean over-exerting herself. She grinned when Kagome thought to her: _I'm only worried about you, you know that, right? I don't like it when my friends go gallivanting off and try to get themselves killed as some sacrificial lamb. Heck, or anyone, unless its Charles._

_How ironic. You were the sacrificial lamb once too. _C.C. chuckled at the after-thought, but stopped immediately when Kagome glared at her. _Don't try anything too stupid. If things can't be handled, I will intervene._

"Very well then." C.C. sighed, admitting defeat, leaving everyone, even Charles, to be confused, seeming as C.C. looked to be talking to herself, or perhaps going insane. "Lelouch, it's time you knew the conditions of our contract, and what I desire. My wish is to die... To end my existence, in all worlds forever."

"But why?!" Cornelia bellowed.

"Why would you want to die?" Lelouch stammered, staring at the immortal witch.

"In the final stage of Geass, the user attains the position of the one who granted them the power. Thus, you have gained the power to kill me."

"Kill...?!" Cornelia's voice was barely a whisper now.

"Kill you...?! You mean... You made your contract with me so that you could cease to exist?"

"Correct."

"But why would you want to die?!"

"It's providence. A boundary. Only is it finite, can we call it life."

"That's wrong! We call it life because we feel it!"

"Same thing. There is no life unless there is death."

"That's just word play! It's not real!" Lelouch was extremely frustrated now. How could she have withheld such crucial information from him?! He knew she was quite depressing at times, but why commit suicide? There must be a way around it!

"People die. That's real."

"Then why are we born at all? What's the purpose of it? The meaning?"

"You know the answer. Those things are just illusions."

"NO! Living just to die is too sad!" Could this be, how C.C. had lived, and thought all her life? _I can't... I can't let her believe this! It's not true!_

"Without death, all we have are random events. Accumulation. You can't call that life. If you have a reason for living, then you have to kill me. Do that, and you'll be Charles' equal. You'll finally be able to beat him. So fare thee well, Lelouch. You're too kind to end our contract."

"NO! Wait! Please!" Lelouch begged her, staring deep into the pools of molten gold. _Why?! _C.C.'s eyes were cold now, but he could swear... A flicker of sorrow seemed to pass over them before she turned back to Charles, who had removed the glove on his right hand, revealing the prominent Geass sigil. "I see it now..." Lelouch mumbled to himself. "This realm of existence is itself interfering with thought."

"Soon, it will be over!" Charles exclaimed. Grabbing C.C. roughly by the arm in a rushed manner, he forcefully bent her backwards, like a sick one-sided dance. Delicately placing her right hand on his chest, C.C. gasped as a searing pain shot through her head and chest, as her Code began to be absorbed by Charles.

"Stop it! C.C. is my- She's mine!" Lelouch yowled, being held back by a Charles' machine. Furiously struggling, he attempted to persuade her from whatever she was doing. "Tell me, C.C.! Why didn't you make me take your place? You could have had your death that way! Forcing me into your hell of eternal life! C.C., it wasn't out of pity, was it?!"

By now, C.C. tears flowed freely down her face, as she struggled to maintain her composure. _But it would be so much simpler if I-_

"Don't die looking like that! You should come to death smiling! I promise you the smile you never had! Please!"

This seemed to trigger a response. Pushing away from his father, she ran to free Lelouch of the machines, binding him to his place.

"You've stolen enough away from me already, father! You won't have her too!"

Pushing the button on his king piece again, a rumbling sound reverberated through their surrounds.

"No! No, you'll ruin it all!"

Kagome had enough, but it seemed that Lelouch had another plan up his sleeve. Rushing to her side, she collected the collapsed C.C., and proceeded to venomously glare at Charles.

"You sealed the exit?!"

"Yes. You, I and the power of Geass, are now sealed in this space together. And if you can no longer interfere with the real world, then all your plans will be meaningless in the end. You may as well be dead!"

"Lelouch!" Charles growled as his son's plan panned out in his head.

A manic grin spread across his face as he let loose a delirious howl. "This system which you created has become a prison, which now holds your own soul captive. Now, let us repent. Suffering together for all eternity!"

After a moment of silence, Lelouch settled down. Yes, he understood now. _All I need to do is rip some answers out of him..._

"So, since we have plenty of time now, will you answer me? Who was it that killed my mother? And what's your excuse for not protecting her?" Lelouch made to leisurely sit down on the ruins.

"How ironic. Here you are, seeking the truth. You who only made it this far only by deception and your lies." Charles was in a slight panic, but his brain worked over-time, buying time for a plan to formulate, so that he may escape, or at least allow the his plan to come to fruition.

"That's true. I've lied every step of the way. And not just about my name and past. I've hidden my true intentions too. But that's pragmatism, isn't it? People need to play along with each other. We melt into a place. If we didn't, the nations, and people, these things called communities, wouldn't exist. Everyone uses lies. On family, on friends, and society. And everyone wears a different face. But, is that a sin? What is, one's true face? Even you wear a mask; that of an emperor. None of us can make a move now, without our respective personas."

"You're wrong. When we realize that lies have no meaning in the endless flow of eternity, those personas will vanish. When we understand each other, conflict will disappear."

"That all sounds like metaphysical nonsense to me."

Cornelia snorted at this. "What an asshole."

"Is that any way to address your father, Cornelia?"

"She's right. You're such a selfish bastard." Lelouch quipped.

"Oh, you too, Lelouch? And why is it that you say that?"

"How dare you? Nunnally, Euphemia, Cornelia and I... You sent us to Japan as hostages!"

"It was necessary!"

"Necessary for what?!" Lelouch exclaimed.

"What kind of parent does that?!" Cornelia shrieked.

"I sent both you and your sister to Japan to escape my brother's sight. Then we made Anya and Nunnally became witnesses, therefore it was necessary to rewrite their memories in order to protect everything."

"Nunnally?! You mean her blindness isn't psychosomatic after all? But-"

"Even though she was a false witness, there remained a very real danger that she would be killed. To ensure Nunnally's safety, proof was needed, that would lead far away from the truth."

"S-So you blinded and crippled N-Nunnally just so your stupid plan could follow through?! H-How could you be so- so-"

"Yes, but it was necessary!"

"Necessary my ass!" Cornelia hollered. "What the hell are you thinking?!"

"There is no need to worry, Lelouch, Cornelia. Once the Ragnarok Connection is established, masks will vanish. Then everyone can be exactly who they're supposed to be."

"I see. All the battle and bloodshed between Britannia and the Black Knights was done just to lure out C.C.. Well then, it seems from the very beginning, I was merely a nuisance. Just a ruckus in the world." Lelouch gave a tiny morose chuckle. "And what do you think of all this?"

C.C. and Kagome eyed the royal siblings, utterly quiet, and if he didn't know any better, a silent conversation was raging in their heads. Instead, Kagome, who had been rather silent thus far, turned to Charles, questioning him.

"Why did you make this thing? For what reason?"

"Why? Because it is what Nunnally and Euphy both desired. They wanted a gentle world."

"I see..." Kagome trailed off, wholly unconvinced. She shot a glance at Lelouch and gave a solemn wink. He vaguely wondered how it was possible for her to pull that off, but pushed it aside to the back of his mind.

"Now I see. It's obvious." Lelouch whispered.

"Lelouch, what was your motivation for wanting to control the world?"

"Don't waste my time, Kagome. You know it was for my sisters. I'd do anything for them. Lay down my life for the betterment of the world. My father has pretended to be the Emperor long enough."

"If you're going to achieve that end, you need to take action." She advised.

"Yes. The means to that end requires me to reject something." Now turning to the advancing Emperor, Lelouch held his head high, announcing proudly and firmly: "I reject you. Why do people lie? It isn't only because they struggle against each other. It's also because there's something that they're seeking. You now want a world without change... How stagnant. You can hardly call it life. Same as a world of memories. Just a world that's closed and completed. That's a place I wouldn't want to live in. Nor would the good people of this world, which you so carelessly rule."

"But you can be reunited with those who died!"

"As I expected. You believe that this world you envision will be best for all. But forcing your good intentions on others is no different than an evil act. No one wishes to be oppressed."

"But we rule the people! And not all people are equal. Besides, in time, people will come to accept it."

"That time will never come! Humans wish to be free! It is in our nature! We have free will that we will always wish to exercise! But only one thing is undeniably certain. I understand that what you did to my sisters and I may have been done out of good intentions, but... The hard fact remains that you, my parents, abandoned us in a foreign land. And now, your reasoning is severely warped! You care only for yourself! Only your plan... It was all for your selfish gains!"

"But I did that to protect you!"

"Then why didn't you stop the war between Japan and Britannia?!" Cornelia cut in. "All those people that were innocent... They all died because of you!"

"The plan was such a priority to you, that it didn't matter to you if Nunnally, Euphemia, Cornelia and I were alive or dead. That's why you abandoned us. All you have left are self-serving excuses!"

"Lelouch, you're wrong!" Charles was seriously panicking now, bordering hysterical, although he'd be damned if he showed it on his face. What the hell was his son rambling on about? _I suppose-_

"But you just told us!" Cornelia roared, she was teetering on the edge of self-control, and Lelouch knew it. _She's going to blow up soon..._ To be honest, he was unduly surprised that she had restrained herself for so long.

"Exactly!" Kagome added. "You said the dead will rejoin the living. You don't give a damn about the future!"

"The future is the Ragnarok Connection. Once it's finally done, the gentler existence that Nunnally spoke of will-"

"STOP IT! The world you're speaking of will be kinder and gentler only for you! The world that my sister wished for, is one in which kindness is extended to everyone. Even strangers! A world where there will be peace, and no suffering!"

"Let's say it was true. What of it? There's nothing to be done about it. The Ragnarok Connection has begun." Charles smirked.

"You think so? I am Zero. The man who works miracles." Reaching a gloved hand up to his left eye, he promptly removed his contact lens. Nodding at Cornelia, who flared her Geass and quickly disappeared, Lelouch faced his father again.

"Your Geass power will have no effect on me, nor will it on anyone else here." A smug look crossed his face. "And Cornelia, it isn't as if making yourself invisible will help you..."

"No. There's someone else here... Isn't there?"

Charles paled and growled at Lelouch, upon realization of 'who' he was referring to. _How could he have figured it out so soon?!_

"That's right. C's world is the will of mankind itself. And all men are not equal, remember those words? They're your own. And because of that, I'm sure you realize that my power will work."

"You're a fool, Lelouch. God cannot be defeated by the power of the king!"

"I don't intend to defeat God. This is a request. Yes. Now I know who I really am. God! Collective unconscious! Please, don't stop the march of time!"

"Why you little-!"

Cornelia reappeared, sending a bone-crunching punch to his side, effectively winding him, and pinning him to the ground.

"Nobody would have wanted this. No one. And especially not Euphy!" Cornelia bellowed, allowing her white hot rage to bubble to the surface. "And you know it!"

"You can't do this, boy! Not against God, nor all of humanity itself!" Charles yelped, as he struggled to free himself. "Release me at once, Cornelia, you insolent fool!"

"Regardless... What I want... Is tomorrow!" And at that moment, Lelouch's right eye gave way to the formation of another Geass sigil, signifying his full-fledged Geass powers. But all of it; all the power... It was simply a corrupt aptitude...

"C.C., as long as we two bare the marks of Geass, no matter what occurs, we-"

But Charles was immediately silenced when an arrow impaled itself into his throat. Staring cross-eyed at the arrow, an indescribable pain flared in his throat, as the arrow burst into brilliant blue flames. Unable to make an comprehensible noise, Charles, grasped at his throat, while attempting to glare at the strange girl who shot the arrow. _Who the hell was she?!_

"Sorry. But I finally realized... The love you have, is only for yourself." C.C. explained, disdainfully staring down at Charles, neglecting the pain he was in. Yes. Kagome and C.C. had decided otherwise, since Kagome had relentlessly spent her wordless moments convincing her, and, she was overcome.

"Y-You have no idea what the meaning is, behind Nunnally's beautiful smile! Why don't you understand?! Nunnally was blinded. My only sister was crippled. She knew... She knew that there were things in this world that she would never be able to do by herself. So her smile... Nunnally's smile was her way of expressing gratitude!" Lelouch's lip was quivering, as tears threatened to leak from his eyes. "Your refusal to face reality... Content to watch us from afar... Don't make me laugh. There's only one truth here. You... My own parents... You abandoned us! So... Be gone now!"

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**A/N: And that's it for this chapter! :) Thank you very much for reading, and please review! I'll ask for 5 reviews again, please! ^^**


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